Seems like an interesting niche happening in the design of sounds for EVs and hybrids. I wonder how important this will become. Will sounds be patented? Think of how important that Mac start up sound was/is.
I prefer them to be simple, but it seems some brands are exploring some more expressive territory for better or for worse:
New Lamborghini hybrid sounds:
Fiat 500 E makes gurgling sounds at idle and for some reason an electric guitar sound when it passes 25mph? (I hope the can be turned off):
and of course this Dodge EV concept that is supposedly “the loudest EV”:
Well now I am confused. Is this for people inside the car or for people outside the car?` If I’m inside, I want silence, noise sucks. If I’m outside, I want silence, noise sucks.
I fully agree @iab . I prefer quiet. There is a little bit of noise needed at low speed for pedestrians. But over about 20mph there is enough tire and road noise to alert people. Our Polestar has a sonar like beep for backing up and a very quiet hum below 25mph. You can hear in this video just turning the wheels on the road is louder than the hum:
My personal preference aside though, it seems like this might become a thing?
Good lord, Fiat. The 500 is not a muscle car, as those phony engine noises would have you think. Nor is it a luxury car, as all of their advertising would have you think. I simply don’t understand what that company is doing
I’m not surprised the Polestar has such a subtle, though thoroughly effective, acoustic design. One of my biggest unexpected UX positives of the Volvo I bought last year was the satisfying acoustic design of things as simple as locking the doors. Gone is the awkward horn honk - replaced with a pleasant, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to be unobtrusive, electronic “chirp-chirp.”
I find myself oddly in love with the turn signal noise as well. I grew up with GM products where the turn signal sounded like a Snapple cap being popped over and over! Other than a couple of Toyotas we got right out of college most of my adult life we have had VW/Audi products which have their own sounds … the Polestar’s turn signal (which I assume is probably the same as a Volvo?) sounds nice and premium but distinct from the Germans. It definitely seems like someone spent time on it.
Other than a couple of Toyotas we got right out of college most of my adult life we have had VW/Audi products which have their own sounds … the Polestar’s turn signal (which I assume is probably the same as a Volvo?) sounds nice and premium but distinct from the Germans. It definitely seems like someone spent time on it.