EV and Deer

[DvM]

does anyone have first-hand experience when it comes to encounters with various wildlife, especially deer?
I'm seriously eyeing a Tesla Model S but in my area (upstate New York) we have so many deer that it is not unusual to encounter 2 to 3 standing along the road side for each mile driven at dawn/dusk or night.

 

[rolosrevenge]

I would put a deer whistle on the nose cone if that were the case. At higher speeds, the Model S doesn't make much less noise than an ICE, and the whole headlights problem exists despite having a rumbling engine.

 

[PokerBroker]

They look up and see me in my roadster in Ohio just as normal in my opinion.

 

[dhanson865]

Above 25 to 30 mph an EV sounds the same as a gas powered car assuming you are going a steady speed.

Sure the gas engine can make more noise in short bursts if the driver guns it but when the pedal is steady road noise (tires) and wind noise will dominate.

 

[ckessel]

does anyone have first-hand experience when it comes to encounters with various wildlife, especially deer?
I'm seriously eyeing a Tesla Model S but in my area (upstate New York) we have so many deer that it is not unusual to encounter 2 to 3 standing along the road side for each mile driven at dawn/dusk or night.

I'm not sure what this has to do with an EV? Tire noise is the main noise source once you get beyond minimal speeds. Unless you ride a Harley or something.

 

[wycolo]

In NYState the Taconic State Parkway goes mostly thru deer parks. At night 55 mph is slightly too fast. Really. Vermont in addition has Moose. A Moose is best described as a "brick wall draped with black velvet" just waiting for an unwary night driver. A white deer will go right thru the windshield and end up in the back seat. A Moose will just total the whole car.

Out West there are Elk, Mule Deer, and Coyotes as well as Moose. Just outside the Glenwood Springs CO SC the other night a big Coyote nearly hit my nose cutting across the highway. Luckily it was a 35 mph zone and I was going slower. Wildlife is everywhere!
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[dhanson865]

I didn't have the URL earlier, check out Mitsubishi iMiev | Fully Charged - YouTube at the 9 minute mark (more like 9:04) he puts a camera/mic on the side of the road and has a gas and ev car drive by and you can compare the sounds of two cars passing the same spot at the same speed.

 

[Doug_G]

My experience: EV versus ICE: Deer in the Headlights

Also see Deer Strike

 

[mknox]

I hit a bird standing in the middle of the road the other day (driving about 30 MPH / 50 km/h). I was surprised it didn't fly out of the way at the last minute like every other time I've had that kind of encounter. Not sure if it was a quite EV thing... just sayin'

 

[astrotoy]

Don't worry about the miles per hour. It's the "kill" ometers that get the animals. Besides deer, we have roving flocks - more like herds - of wild turkeys.

 

[anthony]

I've encountered a moose standing in the road in VT, so I stopped and beeped, and it didn't seem to care. I've had a few encounters with deer that have been the same as my ICE incidents. They sometimes run one way, and sometimes the other.

IMO, just pay attention, its really you're only hope, ICE or electric.

 

[DvM]

I will admit that this seems to be very little if any difference between an EV and an ICE noise level when they pass you. However, there clearly is a difference between various types of vehicles when they are approaching from afar. In fact, I have many times observed animals (especially birds – thanks mknox) not hearing the approaching vehicle if you drive in S class Mercedes for example. Drive a BMW M5 and all creatures of the Forest seem to take notice and that seems to trigger suicidal behavior especially from deer. So riding Harley might not be especially save.
Now of course I do know whether or not certain animals including deer respond with a flight instinct not because of engine noise or is it any other factors such as xenon lights, leds, etc…

 

[adiggs]

My personal observation is that animals (squirrels, cats, birds - suburban wildlife) don't react normally to the Roadster at low speed. With other cars I've driven, they hear me and skedaddle out of the way. I've had to come to a stop and sit with a squirrel looking back at me, looking like (s)he was wondering what I was. Of course, can't rev the engine to get it to move .

No issues at higher speeds, probably from tire noise. No experience with deer (not many roaming about suburban Portland)

 

[Lloyd]

I drove at night last friday within 20 yards of a herd of elk locally! Pigs were not skittish either. It was kind of spooky wierd.

 

[NigelM]

Deer not bothered at all with Roadster or Model S at slow speed. At night they tend to react more to the tire noise and clear away pretty fast. Black Vultures taunt you and don't give a damn when they're picking on road kill - I've wondered on more than one occasion if those bids are actually deaf?

Then there's this: Armadillo-hunting-with-my-Model-S

 

[DavidM]

does anyone have first-hand experience when it comes to encounters with various wildlife, especially deer?
I'm seriously eyeing a Tesla Model S but in my area (upstate New York) we have so many deer that it is not unusual to encounter 2 to 3 standing along the road side for each mile driven at dawn/dusk or night.

Well, the Model S is so wide, that you can probably clip them all with one pass. : )
I wasn't supposed to take it seriously, was I ?

 

[DvM]

no, I was actually being deadly serious. Hitting a deer and especially in Elk is no laughing matter. Call me selfish, but I have no interest in increasing the probability of hitting any of those just because I drive an EV.

I also found a test between a Tesla roadster and a Porsche Boxster ( see link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0mU6DIZWlQ). the Tesla has no noise when approaching, even at high speeds.

 

[brianman]

Deer not bothered at all with Roadster or Model S at slow speed. At night they tend to react more to the tire noise and clear away pretty fast.

The "moral of the story" from such comments is that you need to drive faster ("for the tire noise") around wildlife. Or did I get it wrong?

 

[Gwgan]

So this morning this 6" high deer, er squirrel, halted two opposing lanes of traffic while deciding which lane it would rather die in. I say die because it looked an awful like he was changing his mind about which tire to lunge toward. The honking and engine reving did not seem to have any impact. A bigger deer might cause more damage, but I was most worried about the potential texter behind me.

 

[NigelM]

The "moral of the story" from such comments is that you need to drive faster ("for the tire noise") around wildlife. Or did I get it wrong?

Errr, sort of right. Guess there's a fine line between making noise and going too fast so the deer don't have time to move.

BTW, our horses who don't really like loud engine noises are not bothered at all by our Teslas.