subject: The Perfect Car Noise [print this page] With the introduction of many electric cars in 2010 and 2011 we will see a reduction in CO2 emissions and emission of other harmful gases, but electric cars cruising around town producing no emissions cause another problem, the absence of the familiar combustion engine noise. This noise has become more than just an engine note, people can hear cars, trucks and Lorries before they can actually see them, and therefore electric cars raise a safety concern.
Our sense of hearing allows us as road users in traffic to monitor all 360 degrees of our surroundings, whereas our eyes only cover a limited angle. People with poorer vision or who are distracted can easily overlook a car if they cannot hear it.
Charities and organisations around the world have bought this issue to light and have asked that electric cars still produce a unique sound, in the USA and Japan there are laws governing that electric cars need to produce some form of noise to alert other road users including pedestrians.
Audi have penned quite a few electric vehicles for their range, also known as e-tron electric cars, Audi acousticians have been deliberating over the best way to break the silence of the brands forthcoming electric models. They have been drawing inspiration from numerous sources, including science fiction blockbusters such as I, ROBOT, which features the Audi RSQ electric coupe. Electro mobility experts hope to create an engine note that reflects the futuristic nature of these cars while also upholding the premium brand values synonymous with Vorsprung durch Technik.
Dr. Ralf Kunkel, Head of Acoustics at AUDI AG said from Blackburn Audi, We speak of quiet cars when an electric car is driven at a speed between 0 15mph, noise from the rolling of the tyres and from the slipstream comes to the fore above this speed, at which point an electric car is no longer significantly more quiet than a conventional vehicle.
