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Should EVs Make Artificial Sounds at Low Speeds?
- Thread starter Brent
- Start date
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- Electric Vehicles
Not sure if this is an unknown, but is there a sound generator that makes noise at low speed? If so, what does it sound like?
Note that discussion on the US law for EV sound generation is here: Auto minimum sound level
Note that discussion on the US law for EV sound generation is here: Auto minimum sound level
Bardlebee
Member
Am I the only one that thinks that this whole "Oh no! I can't hear the car coming!" is utter nonsense? Do people not check their rear-view mirrors? Also, I don't know about you guys but I can't here the loudest motors (if their not gunning it hard and have a coffee can for a muffler) because I am usually listening to loud music and the cabin tends to isolate that.
Just my two cents.
Just my two cents.
W.Petefish
Active Member
W.Petefish
Active Member
Please keep the sound discussion in the proper section.
Yeah I wonder about the mats as well. Carpet is great and all, but what happens when it is raining? I need to look into some rubber mats.
No, you're not. Plenty of folks think it's foolish. But it's not for drivers. It's supposed to be for blind pedestrians. Of course, a lot of newer cars are as quiet as EVs when not accelerating.
Whether or not the car has a noise maker is a legitimate question, and therefore relevant to this thread. Unless someone has a definite answer so that it's no longer an "unknown."
NigelM
Recovering Member
Uh... No.
Have you ever heard an electric car? They are completely silent, aside from a high pitched hum. It's awesome!
Priuses don't count.
The rep told me there will not be a noise generator on the model S until they are forced to by law. THANK GOD!
strider
Active Member
And even afterwards I'm sure the speaker they install for this will mysteriously fail on many TMC member's cars.
2nd. Frankly I'm a little tired of the nanny state.
Besides, I'm not sure how much difference it's going to make given the number of times I've almost had someone walk right out in front of me in my Suburban which is large enough to have it's own moon (okay, so I'm exaggerating a lot here) and powered a 6 liter V8 (not quiet). If people walk out in front of that then nothing short of an actual horn blast (or maybe a fire hose) is likely to stop them.
Unfortunately, it may be hard to put that one back in the box. We may be stuck with it for a generation or two.
W.Petefish
Active Member
Debatable. Does the car have the A/C running? Is it cooling it's battery pack w/ the A/C? Is it's PEM fan running? Is it's Motor fan running?
Too many variables to pass judgement on that one.
What ever do you mean? Are you implying that we/us would destroy the speaker or render it inoperative? ./sarcasim
Ever harder to put the genie back in the bottle on that one. Point being, people have done similar things when I'm moving equipment for family. Stepping out in front of a noisy John Deere hauling a bailer, not good. (Thank god that tractor had good brakes.) Point being people do stupid things every day.
I've been driving EVs for five years. They are very quiet. They are not completely silent. The tires make some noise. The Prius in electric mode is actually quieter than either the Xebra or the Tesla Roadster. But many conventional cars when not accelerating or starting up are also extremely quiet.
And note please that the advocates for noise-makers are not talking about stupid people who pay no attention to what's around them. They're talking about blind pedestrians, who presumably are listening carefully.
But the fallacy is, as I've pointed out, that plenty of cars are quiet enough that a blind person would not always hear the engine. Further, there has never been a case that I'm aware of, of a blind pedestrian being struck by an EV. Of course, if it happens once, and it's bound to happen eventually, that will be the end of it and the lawyers will see to it that every EV must play a recording of an engine at all times. Which is stupid. You'll get stopped for a tail light and ticketed for not running a noisemaker. It's all part of the anti-EV FUD.
My Roadster is actually rather loud, because of the wide, noisy tires. Of course, if what you're focusing on is engine noise, then your brain tells you the car is quiet. Except for the hum of the cooling system. Most people just tune out background noise. They don't hear it because their brain turns it off.
For everyone here that is so upset at the sound of a "noise maker", have you heard one? Have you gone and listened to a Leaf and the sound it makes? I have, and I know it's there, and still it's almost impossible for me to hear it. I'm curious if my hearing just isn't as sensitive as yours?
Peter
Peter
On the Karma you can hear it both on the inside and outside -- even at speed. It's a bit of a slap in the face for a silent car to get kneecapped like this IMO
KBF
Model X owner (formerly Cdn Signature Model S)
I was assured that in Canada we would definitely not have noisemakers, particularly since our lawmakers haven't yet followed in America's footsteps. He told me that at that point (about a year ago) they weren't planning on doing it in the US until they were forced to.
I've avoided the Auto minimum sound level conversation but to answer your question. I was told Elon HATES soundmakers in EVs.
Fisker's Karma was with over 100 electric cars of all kinds in a parade in SM where it was the only one making noise. Lame.
That's how the sell the legislation. However, according the Prius group members that have actually studied this (I haven't) there aren't any blind people who have a problem with the noise level (or lack of it).
