Tha_Ape
Active Member
They used to let you manually disable it for a single reverse (it would reset after you stopped reversing). Thats perfect for people not trying to wake people up at odd hours when you need to go somewhere.
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Model Y Reverse UFO Sound Change/Disable
- Thread starter Forcefire
- Start date
fholbert
Active Member
I‘ve never heard a UFO sound. I’ve had my 2023 MY since May 5th. I back out of my garage every morning at 3:30am
Midnightsun
Active Member
My 2020 has no sound yet I am legal as it was not required at the time. Just disconnect one of the wires to the speaker if it bothers you, no clue how it came loose, must have come loose after hitting a pothole. 
zoomer0056
Active Member
Nope, I'm with you. Cool and functional. Maybe those that don't like it would rather have the standard beep .. beep .. beep .. beep ..
Tha_Ape
Active Member
I don't mind it, I just want to be able to turn it off for one-off situations (like backing out of my garage in a super quiet neighborhood at 3am).
I don't care about it anywhere else, it's got its uses
I don't care about it anywhere else, it's got its uses
Pobre
Member
I dont mind the sound too. but if its too loud it gets intrusive.
backing up from the parking lot in my 2019 Kona EV is way safer than with my MY, if you can understand when I say those US sensors will beep inside you cabin waaaay before you see anyone on the reverse camera. plenty of time to stop or change gear to scoot forward.
my coworker recently backed into another car using her 2022MY and got a small dent on the bumper. both cars were backing into each other at that time and must have masked each other's EV noise generators or the audible alert was too late to alert you to stop. So, even with a loud noise generator this things will still happen to our Teslas and other cars. I had similar experience while driving my Kona EV but i always hear the US warning allows me plenty of time to do corrective actions to avoid collision.
backing up from the parking lot in my 2019 Kona EV is way safer than with my MY, if you can understand when I say those US sensors will beep inside you cabin waaaay before you see anyone on the reverse camera. plenty of time to stop or change gear to scoot forward.
my coworker recently backed into another car using her 2022MY and got a small dent on the bumper. both cars were backing into each other at that time and must have masked each other's EV noise generators or the audible alert was too late to alert you to stop. So, even with a loud noise generator this things will still happen to our Teslas and other cars. I had similar experience while driving my Kona EV but i always hear the US warning allows me plenty of time to do corrective actions to avoid collision.
You realize this is called a Pedestrian Warning System, right? Your coworker shouldn't be expecting to hear it from another vehicle backing up. She should maybe use her camera instead.
Pobre
Member
Yes, know what its called. but my point is in other cars with US sensors (like my Kona EV), it will trigger an alarm if Both pedestrian and vehicles are passing by.You realize this is called a Pedestrian Warning System, right? Your coworker shouldn't be expecting to hear it from another vehicle backing up. She should maybe use her camera instead.
fholbert
Active Member
I would have sworn my ’23 MY didn’t make the UFO sound when backing up.
I don’t hear it in the car, but movement in my driveway triggers my security camera and sure enough it does. I leave for work at 3:45am, no complaints from the neighbors.
I don’t hear it in the car, but movement in my driveway triggers my security camera and sure enough it does. I leave for work at 3:45am, no complaints from the neighbors.
nemodio
Member
Until watching the Tesla orientation video, I always thought it was the sound of a reversing electric motor, similar to the gearbox/axel/differential sound an ICE car makes when reversing!
The regulation came about years ago when EV's were uncommon. There were accidents and a lot of scrutiny about emerging mass ev adoption and zero noise was very novel at that time.
For safety reasons, I really think the noise emitter is a good thing. Not just on ev's but any vehicle nowadays. However, even the most quiet ICE vehicle still has a noticable startup, and mechanical noises that ev's simply never have so the extra measure of a noise emitter is logical.
It may not make as much sense in wide-open USA but in dense areas with a lot of pedestrians, it is a good safety measure imo.
chriSharek
Member
This whole requirement is such a joke. We've spent the past 100+ years trying to make a car quiet with all kinds of mechanical means and now we're ADDING sound? The NHSTA is an absolute embarrassment to the US.
Mike_TV
Active Member
Agree but creeping through a parking lot, like Costco, with the HVAC and radio off scares the pants off some people who walk aimlessly in the road.
Tha_Ape
Active Member
The forward sound is MUCH less annoying than the reverse sound though. I'm actually not totally against the reverse sound, it has a purpose, I just wish it could be temporarily disabled on a case-by-case basis or at least knock it down 10dB. I
'll bet if you measured the sound level of various cars, Tesla would be among the loudest, maybe next to a Corvette or something else with a large American V8. Most luxury cars, and hybrids for that matter are nearly silent in reverse.
I'd imagine Elon never hears it, I doubt anyone has to reverse with him in the car. He's likely picked up and dropped off in horseshoe-like driveways.
