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Anyone tried the "Active Exhaust" systems?
- Thread starter Buskeyl
- Start date
If you don't get why some Tesla owners (me included) might want a fake exhaust system that can sound like anything you want (Lambo Huracan Performante, BRM V16, Tie Fighter), then you'll never get it.
It's nothing to do with being 'tied' to the past and petrol. It's just got to do with that sound. It can't be explained, just felt. And if a Lexus LFA at full throttle doesn't make your hairs stand on end, nothing will. And that's fine.
There are Tesla owners like me, and plenty others, who are also rev heads, and bought a Tesla for its performance as well as its green credentials.
Not to mention, all you lot having complete hissy fits over Tesla Exhaust Systems, you know you don't have to get one if it's not your thing right? And they can be turned off too. Just sayin'.
Aggmeister2010
Active Member
Bingo. Feels like many of the folks in this thread view cars as an appliance that should silently get you to the office and back, and that's it. "Those dang kids" that want to enjoy the experience of the drive annoy them. This type of tool will never make sense to them.
Also, on a related note............
In UK we have stretches of “smart” motorway with reduced speed limits. These are stretches going near housing generally, the reasons are either noise or air pollution reduction. Personally I think EV’s should be able to carry on at normal motorway speed as they produce neither of these
Aggmeister2010
Active Member
FYI, these are the kinds of sounds I'm talking about. Not "retrofitted ICE sounds" - those are lame. And not played at 600 decibels - just enough for you to hear them and enjoy the ride. This is what comes with the Etron and Etron GT
It'd be interesting to see/hear a few dozen of these in concert. I suspect it would be very obnoxious. I guess I'm one that sees quietness as a major EV benefit. Wouldn't want to throw that away.
Aggmeister2010
Active Member
No more obnoxious than 20 ICE cars with a mix of a City Bus and some delivery trucks accelerating away from a light, except without the smell....
The system I shared on the Etron is required by law for pedestrian safety, they've just made it fun instead of just doing a boring beep.
With that said, the benefit that EVs have is that since our cars are silent by design (well, silent from a drivetrain standpoint, still have plenty of road noise), we are in control of the volume and tone of what sounds we do make. I think most folks don't want to use a system like this to blast their mix tape while they roll down the road, they just want to add a little spice to their drive in a non-intrusive way.
And as others have said, if you dont like it, turn it off.
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So we're in agreement. This removes a major benefit of driving an EV. Yes, it's required for safety that an EV makes *some* noise, but only under 20mph. The cars themselves already fulfill that requirement.
Aggmeister2010
Active Member
I don't really think so. There is one area where we agree: V8/V10 sounds masked on an EV are silly. It doesn't match the vibe. But that doesn't mean all sounds are bad......not sure if the sound of childrens' laughter and birds chirping are an annoyance as well.
Whether or not silence is a 'benefit' to EVs is subjective. To throw out that anyone who makes noise is a troglodyte is a pretty elitist kind of mentality. I like the power and instant torque that comes with EVs, but the silence....I could take it or leave it. I bought my P90D for the power, not the green/silence aspect.
At the end of the day, I think this comes down to "commuter" mentality vs "enthusiast" mentality.
If you just want to get to work and back, a product like this makes no sense for you. You're not really 'invested' in your drive, it's a burden and you just want it done as unobtrusively as possible.
If you enjoy the sensory experience of driving, you may feel like something is *missing* from an EV. And so a product like this makes sense for you, to help envelop you in the drive. If folks can't mentally handle my car putting out a few decibels of sci-fi scounds as I drive by, there's plenty of therapists that would be happy to talk them through their anger issues.
Again, there's a reason why the Porsche pumps in cool sci-fi sounds at all speeds for the Taycan.....they know that their target market wants that sense of excitement in their drive. They know what they're doing.
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Truthfully, the whir of the electric motor gets me more hot & bothered than any gas engine ever has. It just screams “instant torque!”
Yeah, I’m one who considers the relative silence a major benefit. That said, I also drove Cadillacs before this with active noise cancellation, so value a quiet cabin. (And I DO wish the 3 would hush road and tire noise better.)
Aggmeister2010
Active Member
IMO, at highway speeds, most vehicles are on the same level as an EV from a noise standpoint. I can't hear the engine of my wife's XC90 at 70 mph, and when I'm near an interstate, I hear mostly tire noise - not engine noise - from any vehicle passing by.
Anyway, I think we're beating a dead horse at this point. Hopefully, at a minimum, everyone can agree that the noise-maker products for EVs are a niche product for having some fun, if you don't understand it then it's not for you. That's it. Not worth any more arguing.
As long as the system isn't so loud that you're disturbing the peace and bothering others, I personally don't have a problem with it.
I'd love to have several different sounds...
The Jetsons
A Tie-Fighter
An F1 at full song
A 737 engine at full spool
A completely wound up turbo or supercharger
Various others that I can't think of right now.
All at reasonable sound volumes, with the ability to really crank them up when I'm not in an area where it would bother others. And, of course, the ability to shut them all off for a completely quiet cabin at times; I'm really envious of the new active noise cancellation in the new S and X.
IMO, there's not a right or a wrong side in this debate... just a difference between what people like. As long as you're not bothering others, why not let guys n gals have their fun?
I'd love to have several different sounds...
The Jetsons
A Tie-Fighter
An F1 at full song
A 737 engine at full spool
A completely wound up turbo or supercharger
Various others that I can't think of right now.
All at reasonable sound volumes, with the ability to really crank them up when I'm not in an area where it would bother others. And, of course, the ability to shut them all off for a completely quiet cabin at times; I'm really envious of the new active noise cancellation in the new S and X.
IMO, there's not a right or a wrong side in this debate... just a difference between what people like. As long as you're not bothering others, why not let guys n gals have their fun?
Excuse you guys.. you know what Tesla owners want? Optional engine sounds? No! How crude! Sci-fi inspired noises? No no.. *chuckle* grow up! I've got it, I know what we all want and need. We want the option to blast ice cream truck jingles when we drive. Oooohh Yaasssss we do.
- My interpretation of what must've gone on during a Tesla meeting or two.
- My interpretation of what must've gone on during a Tesla meeting or two.
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
Note in the Boombox you can set up a driving sound and you can add various engine noises as a driving sound by putting in a custom mp3. The problem is that it plays in a simple loop and does not vary with rpm/speed, so does not sound natural (unless you just add a seemless idle sound loop). I'm sure if Tesla wanted to, they can make it more complex by adjusting the sound based on rpm, but it'll be a lot more complex to implement (and also for people to customize).Excuse you guys.. you know what Tesla owners want? Optional engine sounds? No! How crude! Sci-fi inspired noises? No no.. *chuckle* grow up! I've got it, I know what we all want and need. We want the option to blast ice cream truck jingles when we drive. Oooohh Yaasssss we do.
- My interpretation of what must've gone on during a Tesla meeting or two.
danarcha
Member
Don't give them any ideas! Can't we just get something useful like the seat warmer and defrost buttons back on the screen?
Totally on board with the Icecream truck. I'll mod it to an intolerable volume and idle outside the house of all the owners on here living on Mt Pious, decreeing all that enjoy good engine noises EV heathen scum.Excuse you guys.. you know what Tesla owners want? Optional engine sounds? No! How crude! Sci-fi inspired noises? No no.. *chuckle* grow up! I've got it, I know what we all want and need. We want the option to blast ice cream truck jingles when we drive. Oooohh Yaasssss we do.
- My interpretation of what must've gone on during a Tesla meeting or two.
