Should EVs Make Artificial Sounds at Low Speeds?

[JimBob 909]

I have had a couple instances where pedestrians are lolly-gagging and don't know I'm waiting to turn or pass them. Rather than honk (you can just tap the horn) I just wait patiently. It is cool how quiet the car is. I think a subtle noise at slow speeds is a good idea.

 

[daniel]

I have had a couple instances where pedestrians are lolly-gagging and don't know I'm waiting to turn or pass them. Rather than honk (you can just tap the horn) I just wait patiently. It is cool how quiet the car is. I think a subtle noise at slow speeds is a good idea.

The ability to make a noise that's less jarring than the horn, is a good idea. Also the ability to switch on a back-up beeper is a good idea. A noise that you have no control over is a terrible idea. Every car (not just EVs!) should have a jarring horn for when someone's about to swerve into you, a less-jarring noise that tells pedestrians that you are creeping up behind them, and a beeper for when you back out of blind parking spaces. No car should make a noise except when the driver judges that it's appropriate.

 

[arnis]

No car should make a noise except when the driver judges that it's appropriate.

Driven EV for more than 100 000 miles and I can tell this is exactly why I switched off forward moving hum and left reverse beep intact on my EV.
There are no actual situations where a car moves fast AND pedestrians walking in front AND they don't deserve "bigger honk" than EV hum.

 

[drtimhill]

The ability to make a noise that's less jarring than the horn, is a good idea. Also the ability to switch on a back-up beeper is a good idea. A noise that you have no control over is a terrible idea. Every car (not just EVs!) should have a jarring horn for when someone's about to swerve into you, a less-jarring noise that tells pedestrians that you are creeping up behind them, and a beeper for when you back out of blind parking spaces. No car should make a noise except when the driver judges that it's appropriate.

Agreed. The basic problem with a car always making a noise is that you rapidly learn to tune it out. Like normal traffic noise. The end result is, pedestrians dont notice the noise and walk out anyway.

Remember when the third (middle) rear brake light was mandated? Tests showed it reduced read-ending collisions by a significant margin. The problem was, that was true at first, when the light leaped out at you in surprise because no-one was used to seeing it. It really grabbed your attention. Fast forward 10 years and most cars have them, no-one notices any more and read-ending is back to normal levels.

Watch any crowded city, and you will see trucks backing up going beep-beep like mad .. pedestrians just weave around it as if they didn't care.

 

[Fiver]

None of you know what it's like to be blind or visually impaired, which is the sole reason these noise makers exist.

 

[arnis]

None of you know what it's like to be blind or visually impaired, which is the sole reason these noise makers exist.

You don't have to be blind. Just ask them. This has been done. And it didn't work.

 

[wdolson]

Agreed. The basic problem with a car always making a noise is that you rapidly learn to tune it out. Like normal traffic noise. The end result is, pedestrians dont notice the noise and walk out anyway.

Remember when the third (middle) rear brake light was mandated? Tests showed it reduced read-ending collisions by a significant margin. The problem was, that was true at first, when the light leaped out at you in surprise because no-one was used to seeing it. It really grabbed your attention. Fast forward 10 years and most cars have them, no-one notices any more and read-ending is back to normal levels.

Watch any crowded city, and you will see trucks backing up going beep-beep like mad .. pedestrians just weave around it as if they didn't care.

My last car has a 5.7L V-8 and I had more situations of pedestrians being oblivious in front of my car than I've had with my Model S. Though I've had many instances with my Model S of people being oblivious when I'm backing out. Even when the car is moving and it's in front of them.

A couple of weeks ago I was in the supermarket parking lot and heard tire noise behind me and nothing else. I was already out of the way so I wasn't concerned, but I paid attention and it turned out to be a Model 3.

None of you know what it's like to be blind or visually impaired, which is the sole reason these noise makers exist.

The blind people I've known have also tended to have bat hearing and could pick up sounds everyone else tuned out. Though a bit more noise might help someone who was visually impaired to locate the source of the sound better than something that barely made any noise.

Another reason for these noise makers are for downtown areas with many pedestrians and parking garages. With the 5.7L V-8 I had many instances of having to contend with pedestrians who were unaware a car was leaving a parking garage. The best solution to this has been done at many modern parking garages that have a flashing light and sound at the garage entrance. I find them very annoying to be around them (there's one in our small town on a street that gets virtually no foot or car traffic except the parking garage), but they do effectively alert people that a car is leaving the garage.

The other big problem is people walking around oblivious in parking lots or crossing streets. Most often because they are doing something with their phone. Visually impaired people know they are vulnerable and are usually hyper alert to their surroundings.

 

[daniel]

When I had the Zap Xebra (a totally quiet car) I kept a wooden train whistle in the car. In parking lots I would blow it when coming up behind pedestrians. More often than not they remained oblivious.

But as noted elsewhere, many modern gas cars are so quiet at low speeds that the tires are the noisiest thing about them. The push to make EVs make noise is just spite from people who hate EVs, for reasons I cannot fathom.

 

[drtimhill]

When I had the Zap Xebra (a totally quiet car) I kept a wooden train whistle in the car. In parking lots I would blow it when coming up behind pedestrians. More often than not they remained oblivious.

But as noted elsewhere, many modern gas cars are so quiet at low speeds that the tires are the noisiest thing about them. The push to make EVs make noise is just spite from people who hate EVs, for reasons I cannot fathom.

A classic case of faulty logic: "Quiet cars are dangerous for pedestrians. EVs are quiet cars. Therefore EVs are dangerous for pedestrians." The mistake of course is to think the last sentence means "ONLY EVs are dangerous for pedestrians" and legislate for the conclusion and not the premiss.

Last time I looked a horse was pretty quiet, but I dont notice anyone attaching noise generators to them. (And yes, you do get quite a few there I live.)

 

[J1mbo]

A classic case of faulty logic: "Quiet cars are dangerous for pedestrians. EVs are quiet cars. Therefore EVs are dangerous for pedestrians." The mistake of course is to think the last sentence means "ONLY EVs are dangerous for pedestrians" and legislate for the conclusion and not the premiss.

Last time I looked a horse was pretty quiet, but I dont notice anyone attaching noise generators to them. (And yes, you do get quite a few there I live.)

... and they can be very dangerous and unpredictable if you happen to be standing close enough ...

 

[daniel]

... and they can be very dangerous and unpredictable if you happen to be standing close enough ...

Or if you don't watch where you step.

 

[banned-66611]

You can listen to a few different car sounds here: Kanon der Fahrklänge - Automobil Revue

The Fiat one is pretty nice! The Honda e is good too. The Audi sounds broken and like a cheap 80s movie.

 

[HankLloydRight]

The Audi sounds broken and like a cheap 80s movie.

If that's real, that's a horrible sound. Maybe they intended it to be horrible so it gets your attention, but egads, that's bad.

 

[daniel]

You can listen to a few different car sounds here: Kanon der Fahrklänge - Automobil Revue

The Fiat one is pretty nice! The Honda e is good too. The Audi sounds broken and like a cheap 80s movie.

Those all sound horrible to me!

 

[DavidB]

…The Audi sounds broken and like a cheap 80s movie.

Frankly, I didn't like any of them. But, I agree that the Audi was the most obnoxious of them all.

 

[JimBob 909]

The FIAT sound was really cool.

 

[J1mbo]

No way is that Fiat sound real!? Imagine a few of them driving around a multistory car park, all out of sync... horrendous.

 

[CyberGhost]

Bill requiring minimum auto sound levels expected - AutoWeek Magazine

I find silly the idea that cars need a minimum sound level. To be sure, noise is helpful for the blind, and I have (stupidly) come to rely on it when crossing a street, but I've also been surprised many times by engine-in-back buses and bicycles. I think the solution is not to mandate noise levels but to educate people to look both ways before crossing. For the blind we need better crosswalk technology, such as the beeping walk signals Santa Monica uses.

I think they should leave EVs as they are. They do make plenty of tire noise just like other cars do. And they do have a distinctive sound to the engine as well which obv. isn't as loud as ICE engines. Regardless, most ICE cars are VERY quite in low speeds and you mostly hear the tire noise anyway.

 

[drtimhill]

I think they should leave EVs as they are. They do make plenty of tire noise just like other cars do. And they do have a distinctive sound to the engine as well which obv. isn't as loud as ICE engines. Regardless, most ICE cars are VERY quite in low speeds and you mostly hear the tire noise anyway.

Precisely .. a bill that says EVs should make noise is silly. Last time I looked, Lexus and (of course) Rolls Royce cars were all but silent at low speed. Anyone going to put a noise maker on their nice new $250,000 Rolls Royce???

 

[XLR82XS]

Precisely .. a bill that says EVs should make noise is silly. Last time I looked, Lexus and (of course) Rolls Royce cars were all but silent at low speed. Anyone going to put a noise maker on their nice new $250,000 Rolls Royce???

Certainly NOT on my Bentley......