Should EVs Make Artificial Sounds at Low Speeds?

[SmartElectric]

This horn might be a bit too strong, but it certainly does the job of warning pedestrians...

ASU TRAIN HORN PRANKS - YouTube

 

[bollar]

Just turn on the AC. It makes the Model S louder than any ICE I've owned at parking lot speeds.

 

[Skotty]

I find these two statements to be in ironic conflict.

What is an "intelligent solution" for this problem?

An acceptable intelligent solution would be to use sensors and only activate the noise if the car thinks it detects squishy bodies nearby. Even better if the noise can be directed towards the detected location rather than omnidirectional. Elon has suggested something to this effect in the past. I highly suspect Elon and company had this in mind when adding sensors to the car for autopilot. But for it to work, regulations need to allow for it.

 

[Doug_G]

Just pump up the music. It's amazing how well you can hear it outside the car.

 

[JRP3]

Drop the base!

 

[Motorless]

Funny enough, I'm not afraid of accidents with pedestrians, I'm afraid of accidents with my cats. They like to hide under the car, and go away when they hear the engine running. With an electric car, I suspect they'll have a massive fear the first time they'll see the car move without noise.
I hope there will be no accident for the first month, after that they'll now to get out when someone enters the car.

This has to be a concern, I have outside cats and during cold weather they scurry out from under the car in the morning when we start.

 

[Rheazombi]

This has to be a concern, I have outside cats and during cold weather they scurry out from under the car in the morning when we start.

A good ole' honk should scare the bejeesus out of em

 

[Motorless]

That is a great idea thanks.

 

[Freudianly]

Two sounds should suffice : the roar of a tiger when starting the car to scare the cats away, and when driving, the nice melody of birds singing, birds we cannot hear anymore in our cities because of ICE cars.
And a new slogan to go with it : Imagine a city where you can hear birds sing...Tesla.

 

[T B]

As a Leaf owner with an annoying artificial sound generator I can affirm you it does not help at all. People still can't hear you coming. They are used to move aside only if you roar your engine :-(

 

[breser]

Minimum Noise is Federal Law Now

Looks like the FMVSS for minimum sound requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles has made it to a final rule.

Federal Register | Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (note the bit about final rule this month)

Phase in starts with at least 30% of the vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2015. I can't imagine Tesla only putting this on some of their cars. The phase in seems to be setup for manufacturers with multiple models and only applying it to certain models to meet the requirements. So I'd expect that all Tesla's made after September 1, 2015 will have this.

This doesn't appear to be required on vehicles made before that date and I suspect Tesla hasn't put the hardware on cars to allow it to be applied after the fact. So I wouldn't expect old cars to be updated to have this with a software update.

So FYI, if you want a car without this. You need to make sure it's made no later than August and probably earlier than that because Tesla might roll it out sooner.

 

[KenN]

Interesting that they single out EVs, and give a pass to ICE vehicles that run very quietly at lower speeds.

 

[Dave EV]

Interesting that they single out EVs, and give a pass to ICE vehicles that run very quietly at lower speeds.

That's my biggest pet peeve with the regulation. If you're going to write some asinine rule, at least make it apply to all vehicles independent of technology.

 

[jweinstein]

I wonder if the "noise" can be temporarily disabled.

 

[breser]

I wonder if the "noise" can be temporarily disabled.

The rule makes it illegal to disable it.

S8 Prohibition on altering the sound of a vehicle subject to this standard. No entity subject to the authority of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may:
(a) disable, alter, replace or modify any element of a vehicle installed as original equipment for purposes of complying with this Standard, except in connection with a repair of a vehicle malfunction related to its sound emission or to remedy a defect or non-compliance with this standard; or
(b) provide any person with any mechanism, equipment, process or device intended to disable, alter, replace or modify the sound emitting capability of a vehicle subject to this standard, except in connection with a repair of vehicle malfunction related to its sound emission or to remedy a defect or non-compliance with this standard.

 

[jweinstein]

The rule makes it illegal to disable it.


[/I]

Thank you for answering me so quickly. Do you know what the sound might be like? Is there an example clip somewhere to listen to that you're aware of?

 

[stopcrazypp]

That's my biggest pet peeve with the regulation. If you're going to write some asinine rule, at least make it apply to all vehicles independent of technology.

That's what I hate too. If they set a baseline minimum noise level that applies to all cars, I would have no complaints (I would love to see Rolls Royce having to add sound to their cars before they can legally sell it just to be fair). But they chose to only apply to EVs and hybrids.

The report actually readily admits they haven't studied whether quiet ICE are detectable by pedestrians, but they are going to force EVs and hybrids to add noisemakers first anyways.

 

[bonnie]

Another reason to be glad I'm getting an early Model X.

 

[breser]

Thank you for answering me so quickly. Do you know what the sound might be like? Is there an example clip somewhere to listen to that you're aware of?

The standard requires certain things. But it doesn't require a specific sound. So it's up to the manufacturers to come up with their own sounds. So I'm sure there are some recordings out there of sounds that would comply, but I have no idea what Tesla would use.

- - - Updated - - -

Another reason to be glad I'm getting an early Model X.

I hate to say this but given the timing of the X, I'd be surprised if every X doesn't come with this. It might even be possible for Tesla to comply with this initially by only applying it to the X provided that at least 30% of the vehicles from September 2015-2016 are Model X vehicles.

But best of luck in getting an X without it.

 

[mwulff]

I just hope the EU doesn't adopt that particular kind of stupid.