New electric car will sound like a gas guzzler.

[Snake Alchemist]

Electric cars are known for being quiet — perhaps a little too quiet. U.S. law requires electric car manufacturers to add fake engine sounds to their vehicles to help alert pedestrians and other drivers of the vehicles presence. But how, exactly, do you create a fake engine noise that sounds satisfyingly real? That's precisely the challenge that Audi engineers have been working to tackle.

The sound created for the Audi e-tron electric vehicle concept car isn't just a recording of a loud, gas-guzzling engine. It's actually a precisely calculated noise that corresponds to the speed of the motor, the speed of the car, and other factors. In short, this electric car is designed to sound just like a regular vehicle, no matter how you drive it.


http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/first-electric-car-sound-gas-guzzler-172541603.html

[Noodleboy13]

1. Kinda neat.

I live in Prius central, and I can't count the times I've been snuck up on while riding. And I'm one of those helmeted, vigilant traffic law obeying cyclists.

peace,
Noodleboy

[jorno67]

2. I saw that movie...

one of the plot points in the comedy "Dilemma"

[jp11]

3. If I got an electric car and it was required to sound like a gas powered car I'd demand it sound

like one of those stupid lawnmower hatchback cars that mostly young guys stick the giant coffee can looking mufflers that or a really loud motorcycle.

Personally I'd rather my electric car play Godzilla noises but if the law wants it to sound like a gas powered car I demand it be annoying.

[rucky]

4. I had a thing on my bicycle handle that sounded like a motorcycle.

it was bad ass.

[longship]

5. US Law requires that be obnoxiously noisy

And the oil cartel added an amendment to the bill that these electrics must consume a minimum of a gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel per 20 miles of travel.

Stop electric cars NOW! Protect your right to future access to petroleum based fuels!

[dionysus]

6. i read somewhere, probably here, about an electric motorcycle that was practically silent

they had to have it make noisefor safety issues. cars couldnt hear them coming...

[Zanzoobar]

11. Based on my experience, cars can't hear shit.

The occupants either. Pay the fuck attention.

[dionysus]

13. YEAH!!1!!! FUCKIN A

it had to do with a silent motorcycle coming up from behind cars, and passing them without the auto drivers being aware they were being overtaken from behind. regular motorcycles are impossible not to hear coming...

[raouldukelives]

17. I test commuted on an electric motorcycle

10 years ago now. Super fast and way too quiet. All you could hear was the chain and the roll of tires. I spooked a few people pretty good by just rolling up next to them. Lots of fun though. Took off like a demon. Love to have one with sound. Maybe some 50's sci-fi movie UFO sample. Heck, just make it an app so you can play whatever you want.

[chrisa]

7. That's really stupid

"It's quiet and will cut down on traffic noise. Let's make it loud and annoying."

[Snake Alchemist]

10. Unless you are blind. nt

[chrisa]

14. true

[slampoet]

8. 80% of Adults have hearing damage but cars need to make more noise. Fuck that.

Seems like we only care about health as long as it has to do with looks.

[Snake Alchemist]

9. I imagine if you are blind it is a concern. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Sight impaired.

Think about them. I make sure when driving my hybrid to let them know by getting the engine to kick if they are at a light and the engine has shut off as it's designed to do.

[slampoet]

18. If you are stopped at a light ?

Think about it for a second.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Yes, they need to know there

Is a vehicle there. It is a real issue.

[slampoet]

27. Do you also bang on parked cars to alert the blind?

Simply put, if you are not in motion and not in the intended path of the blind and YOU see them, there is only slight need to rev your engine and add more noise to a situation where the blind person is try to listen for cars that ARE in motion.

You're not in the crosswalk i assume.


This is precisely the kind of thing i have had to deal with from people with little real professional experience designing for the disabled.


I read the disability press and you might be a little surprised at how mixed the results of actual studies have been

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/quiet-electric-cars-pose-no-danger-to-visually-impaired-2319557.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. And you may be surprised

This was asked for by the sight impaired community.

You may not think it's a real issue...but it is.

Some o's us get it, I guess some of us don't.

Read the rest of the thread.

[slampoet]

30. Take a look. seriously beyond yourself.

There are plenty of stories written by news orgs. But look for ones written in the disability press.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. From experience working with a sight impaired

Read legally blind person, it is not beyond the pale.

As I said, some of us get it, some don't.

[slampoet]

33. And i have adapted products for visually impaired customers and serviced Kurzweil readers.

I also have been a PCA and reader for the Blind and have recorded several audio books.

This isn't about resumes this is about better design for the whole.

Adding more noise when the difference at 5kmph is only 1 or 2 db compared to a conventional car?

Compare a Lexus and a Honda Hybrid someday. You'll find the Lexus to be much quieter at everything short of total dead stop, even when accelerating from zero.

Fact is this story gained a lot of traction early on by people who used the blind to attack electric cars. It doesn't discount that there needs to be something done, but adding full time engine noise really isn't the smart thing to do. In the past i have also heard people try to use collisions with the blind as a reason to ban Bicycles and bike messengers from cites also.

Engine noise is not the best directional sound and a recording of some other car's engine noise gives a false view of what that car is. I'd hate to be hearing a truck sound coming out of a Saab.

MY point is that for the most good to be done for all we might need to talk about something more advanced than adding noise if we were really concerned about that general good AND the blind.

But since that hasn't come up from the manufactures and there was a long gap in the coverage of this issue i think people have a right to be wary of the motivations behind stories of this type.

Remember they are putting pedestrian detection devices in many high end cars these days, a simple system of that kind for the blind has been in the works and even cheaper for over 20 years that i am aware of. And let's face it, if we really cared about the blind, the physically handicapped, the elderly, the poor, children, the Amish, and the clumsy, we would all be talking about what we can do in PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

[XemaSab]

12. I think it should sound like a

Selasphorus hummingbird.

[IDemo]

16. They should offer a dashboard switch

that can change the sounds between Indy car, straight-piped Harley, locomotive, fighter jet, galloping horse, etc.

[fujiyama]

20. This is important for pedestrians especially those visually impaired

or blind.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. Yup

+brazillion.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

21. Absurd law. IMO there are too may silly laws on the books like this.

I'm personally tired of legislature trying to micromanage the lives of its peasants.

[Codeine]

22. Basic safety issue.

A couple tons of steel packs a lot of kinetic energy. I'm not sure why people are arguing that it would be better for them to be silent.

[uponit7771]

23. Not silly, check the number of pedistrian hits AFTER the Prius...you can't hear the car until it's a

...couple of feet away from you.

People don't get out of the way in the distance they would with a slimer

[Snake Alchemist]

35. What if you are walking in a parking lot? nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Do me a favor

Put a blindfold on if a friend has an electric vehicle.

It will be self explanatory. This is due to the sight impaired who cannot hear an electric vehicle, or a hybrid who's engine has shut down.

[Ron Obvious]

26. I wonder if this could get hacked?

If this is hackable with digital sound files or something then I foresee market for custom engine sounds.

I imagine someone wanting one that sounds like e.g. a Rolls, Ford F-150 or Harley. Hell, a hearse, bulldozer or a Tiger Tank even, or completely unrelated sounds like music or animal sounds.

Sad if so; the world's already far too noisy for me. I was looking forward to a quieter world when combustible motors were on the way out.

[kentauros]

29. Why does it have to sound like a petrol engine?

Make it sound like George Jetson's car. At least then it will be unique

And I can't list how many times I've seen pedestrians almost get run over because they were on an "emergency" call on their phone, and just way too busy with it to bother looking at the ground in front of them to stop. Yes, this might help the visually-impaired, but what about the awareness-impaired?

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Those, not much you can do

Why some cities want to save them from themselves by passing laws making texting Ilegal while crossing.

Quite honestly torn on that one...

[SoCalDem]

34. They could use the sound of a 1967 Olds 442...Or a '66 Chevelle SuperSport

vroooooooom....vrooooom..gurglrgurglr