How Much Noise Do Teslas Make?

[Arizona Willie]

Has anyone been standing on the sidewalk when a Tesla went by at 20 or 30 mph?
How much noise do they make?

 

[Derek Kessler]

At that speed it's basically just tire noise, so it depends on the road surface. But generally it'll be very quiet.

 

[Chopr147]

Quiet as a mouse

 

[inikkor]

The mouse in my attic is freaking loud!

 

[Silicon Desert]

Loud enough to scare you if they have snow tires on it. Otherwise you will be roadkill if you step in front of it without hearing it

 

[jboy210]

Slow down to 5 or 10 and the car is silent. Be aware of that because bicyclists will make a u-turn right in front of you as you go down a residential street. I have almost picked off a couple of my neighbors.

 

[hugh_jassol]

Answers not in decibels are pointless.

 

[Raechris]

Have you ever heard a Prius drive by with that unique electric whine? The Tesla has a distinct electric whine when accelerating. That being said I don't let anyone drive mine so haven't been standing outside

 

[JulienW]

Answers not in decibels are pointless.

Correct, our hearing and perception of loudness (and SQ) is relative and unreliable. Even the most golden eared audio engineer can be fooled by sounds even if only a couple of dB difference.

 

[Chopr147]

This question comes up alot. I did a test with my wife's Lexus. At a slow speed I did not hear the engine AT ALL. Just tire noise. My point is luxury cars do their best to keep engine noise out of the cabin. These same noise canceling techniques can keep the engine noise so quiet outside the car

 

[animorph]

I'd think at 20-30 MPH a Tesla might be pretty close in noise to a premium ICE whose engine is just loafing along. Mostly tire noise. I don't always hear a difference when a Tesla drives by locally.
In the parking lot a Tesla would be quieter, with no engine idling and no tire noise.
Under acceleration is the biggest difference. I just get a bit of tire scrubbing, but an ICE will sound loud (maybe even intentionally). That frees me to use it a little more without attracting unwanted attention.

 

[Glamisduner]

lots of ratteling when not driven on a smooth road. But on a smooth road you just great the tires and wind.

Rattels from truck, rear seats, rear deck, headliner between the top and rear windows, the occasional door rattle and wind noise from the front windshield near the mirrors.