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Gas will always have sound. The growl of an Aston Martin V12 on startup, or a Lexus LFA screaming through a tunnel, or the flat-plane V8 burble from a Mustang

by kirse 9y ago

Gas will always have sound. The growl of an Aston Martin V12 on startup, or a Lexus LFA screaming through a tunnel, or the flat-plane V8 burble from a Mustang GT350. EM cars only have a dull whine the faster they go. Motorheads are secretly all musicians who happen to love driving. The best combination is ultimately both though, hybrid systems are already used quite frequently in everything from LMP1 WEC racers to modern hypercars.

ygra 9y ago
Car makers employ sound engineers for that very purpose ;) Although I seem to recall that many cars bought for sound already play synthesized motor noise through the speakers, simply because if the shift to smaller, better performing engines means that they don't have the same sound anymore anyway.
ajuc 9y ago
Put speakers in there. Many nonelectric sports cars already use them to "enhance" the sound.
jacobush 9y ago
I am sure you can engineer an electric motor to sound very enticing. Even without resorting to speakers. As a kid, wouldn’t you have wanted your family station wagon to sound a little more Star Wars?
audunw 9y ago
The thing is that sound is associated with speed because a bigger/stronger engine is usually louder. Electrics will break that association. Or it will create a new expectation about what a fast car sounds like. Because from now on, they will always be faster than ICE vehicles. I think there will be a niche of people buying ICE cars for their loud sound, just as there are people who buy the loudest possible motorcycles even though they're not very fast. But I think this will be a niche, and they will probably be considered obnoxious people. I think we'll also see more sound engineering in EVs. They'll perhaps get a more satisfying sound, but will still be quiet.
- rkangel 9y ago
  The sound is satisfying for reasons that are entirely separate with its association.
  - dEnigma 9y ago
    Do you have any sources for that? Personally, I don't find sports car sounds satisfying at all, so I guess those reasons don't apply to everybody.
    - fma 9y ago
      It's kinda why someone would buy a Harley Davidson...they have a distinctive sound associated with power.
      - dEnigma 9y ago
        Yes, but this might just be a cultural phenomenon, not a universal quality of the sound itself.
- Robotbeat 9y ago
  I find the subtle whine of an electric motor accelerating me into my seat pretty dang satisfying, to be honest.
MarkMc 9y ago
Electric cars will fake it. For example, the electric BMW i8 has fake engine sounds and this guy loves it: https://youtu.be/EoojNzIL2cQ?t=241 https://youtu.be/EoojNzIL2cQ?t=241
cm2187 9y ago
Sound is I think the biggest nuisance of these cars. If Tesla manages to quiet down cars in big cities, this would be a huge improvement. Next step doing the same for scooters and motorbikes.
askvictor 9y ago
Steam engines have a distinctive sound too, one which I quite enjoy when one goes past, despite being too young to have any actual nostalgia. People will get over the sound thing, and ICE cars will be a historical curiosity/enthusiast hobby.

by kirse 9y ago

ygra 9y ago

Car makers employ sound engineers for that very purpose ;) Although I seem to recall that many cars bought for sound already play synthesized motor noise through the speakers, simply because if the shift to smaller, better performing engines means that they don't have the same sound anymore anyway.

ajuc 9y ago

Put speakers in there. Many nonelectric sports cars already use them to "enhance" the sound.

jacobush 9y ago

I am sure you can engineer an electric motor to sound very enticing. Even without resorting to speakers. As a kid, wouldn’t you have wanted your family station wagon to sound a little more Star Wars?

audunw 9y ago

The thing is that sound is associated with speed because a bigger/stronger engine is usually louder. Electrics will break that association. Or it will create a new expectation about what a fast car sounds like. Because from now on, they will always be faster than ICE vehicles. I think there will be a niche of people buying ICE cars for their loud sound, just as there are people who buy the loudest possible motorcycles even though they're not very fast. But I think this will be a niche, and they will probably be considered obnoxious people. I think we'll also see more sound engineering in EVs. They'll perhaps get a more satisfying sound, but will still be quiet.

rkangel 9y ago
The sound is satisfying for reasons that are entirely separate with its association.
- dEnigma 9y ago
  Do you have any sources for that? Personally, I don't find sports car sounds satisfying at all, so I guess those reasons don't apply to everybody.
  - fma 9y ago
    It's kinda why someone would buy a Harley Davidson...they have a distinctive sound associated with power.
    - dEnigma 9y ago
      Yes, but this might just be a cultural phenomenon, not a universal quality of the sound itself.
Robotbeat 9y ago
I find the subtle whine of an electric motor accelerating me into my seat pretty dang satisfying, to be honest.

MarkMc 9y ago

Electric cars will fake it. For example, the electric BMW i8 has fake engine sounds and this guy loves it: https://youtu.be/EoojNzIL2cQ?t=241 https://youtu.be/EoojNzIL2cQ?t=241

cm2187 9y ago

Sound is I think the biggest nuisance of these cars. If Tesla manages to quiet down cars in big cities, this would be a huge improvement. Next step doing the same for scooters and motorbikes.

askvictor 9y ago

Steam engines have a distinctive sound too, one which I quite enjoy when one goes past, despite being too young to have any actual nostalgia. People will get over the sound thing, and ICE cars will be a historical curiosity/enthusiast hobby.