What sound should EVs make?

I see this "mundane" issue as an indication of EV market is in scaling up mode. As nobel laureate Philip Anderson said, "quantity changes quality". As the number of EVs increases many such hidden problems will be revealed and solved.

Now that we have an opportunity to control the sounds, what could we do differently? What all information could you convey to pedestrians through sounds? I can think of a few - size of vehicle, speed, hazardous material load, emergency or not, ownership status (stolen or not), zones etc. The challenge is to simplify it to such an extent that there is only a small amount of information that the common person needs to remember. Or may be these noises will be conveyed to some hand held device that the common person can carry or is widely available that simply suggests an action based on some internal logic - start, stop, move away etc. The good thing about such a device is that the sounds can be in a spectrum that we dont hear and we dont need to.


Now you can hear electric cars coming

HALOsonic technology makes electric vehicles sound more like spaceships or sports cars - which should make roads safer for people with visual impairments

As electric vehicles (EVs) become part of our lives – both Nissan and Mitsubishi will have models on sale here within the next year, and charging points are being installed by local authorities around the country – one safety issue is becoming urgent. Unlike, say, an electric milk float, EVs are astonishingly silent, with just the wheel rumble and an occasional electric whine to alert you to their approach. The Royal National Institute of Blind People has been raising awareness of the risk; legislation is likely to follow soon.

All this is wonderful news for Lotus Engineering, which has been working for two years on a system to mimic engine noises. With the help of Harman International – which specialises in car sound systems – it came up with an electronic device that is wired into the engine and follows the revs to produce a synthetic engine noise.

So how does it sound? In the end Harman synthesised a number of alternatives, including a Prius in petrol-powered mode, the purring of an Aston Martin's supercharged V8, the tiger's roar of a Ferrari V12 engine, and the four-cylinder boxer engine you might find in an Alfa Romeo. And just for good measure, they added two spaceship sounds: rising and gently descending.