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At highway speeds, the sound of a modern cars (ICE or otherwise) is mostly tire noise. Electric cars are much quieter at slower speeds, when tire noise is minim

At highway speeds, the sound of a modern cars (ICE or otherwise) is mostly tire noise. Electric cars are much quieter at slower speeds, when tire noise is minimal.

mrfusion 8y ago
Can we get electric tires then? (Or figure out how to fix tire noise)
- ccozan 8y ago
  Is not the tires 100%. The asphalt or the road composition and degradation plays a role. We have a small highway section which was newly done (somewhere in Germany). They seemd to use a different composition and construction method, man, this road is soo silent, even at >200km/h.
- beamatronic 8y ago
  On highway 85 near Cupertino a few years ago they did something called “microgrooving” and it made a huge difference in tire noise, even inside your car. It’s dramatically quieter when you suddenly hit that section.
  - m463 8y ago
    What also helps immensely both in noise and road wear is that no trucks are allowed on 85. They also designed in sound-absorbing walls.
  - vbuwivbiu 8y ago
    I couldn't find reference to this technique could you go into more detail please ?
    - beamatronic 8y ago
      Here’s a little detail - https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/03/02/roadshow-groovy-highway-85-makes-for-a-tough-ride/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/03/02/roadshow-groovy-highw...
- undersuit 8y ago
  Smaller tires are generally quieter, go for the 16" rims instead of the 18". You'll also see better mileage usually. Tire thickness is another factor, get the lowest speed rating tires you can if you don't need to go faster than 112 mph/180 km/h, the recommended speed limit of the common rating 'S'. Of course you should avoid studded tires if you're optimizing for noise, but also All-terrain tires are going to be loud.
  - dpark 8y ago
    1. Why would smaller tires be any quieter? 2. Smaller rims do not mean smaller tires. On a given car model, the outside diameter of the tire will be essentially fixed. If they have multiple wheel diameters, the tire sidewall height will change to accommodate the wheel diameter. Technically smaller-diameter rims actually mean larger tires.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - undersuit 8y ago
      You're right about the sizing. I didn't separate my wording of tire and rims enough. I will defer to a blurb I just Googled: http://elevatingsound.com/your-guide-to-getting-quiet-tires-that-reduce-road-noise/ http://elevatingsound.com/your-guide-to-getting-quiet-tires-...
cronix 8y ago
It's quite noticeable when going from "new" asphalt to old or vice versa at freeway speeds. Air resistance adds quite a bit of sound as well, the faster you go.

At highway speeds, the sound of a modern cars (ICE or otherwise) is mostly tire noise. Electric cars are much quieter at slower speeds, when tire noise is minimal.

mrfusion 8y ago

Can we get electric tires then? (Or figure out how to fix tire noise)

ccozan 8y ago
Is not the tires 100%. The asphalt or the road composition and degradation plays a role. We have a small highway section which was newly done (somewhere in Germany). They seemd to use a different composition and construction method, man, this road is soo silent, even at >200km/h.
beamatronic 8y ago
On highway 85 near Cupertino a few years ago they did something called “microgrooving” and it made a huge difference in tire noise, even inside your car. It’s dramatically quieter when you suddenly hit that section.
- m463 8y ago
  What also helps immensely both in noise and road wear is that no trucks are allowed on 85. They also designed in sound-absorbing walls.
- vbuwivbiu 8y ago
  I couldn't find reference to this technique could you go into more detail please ?
  - beamatronic 8y ago
    Here’s a little detail - https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/03/02/roadshow-groovy-highway-85-makes-for-a-tough-ride/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/03/02/roadshow-groovy-highw...
undersuit 8y ago
Smaller tires are generally quieter, go for the 16" rims instead of the 18". You'll also see better mileage usually. Tire thickness is another factor, get the lowest speed rating tires you can if you don't need to go faster than 112 mph/180 km/h, the recommended speed limit of the common rating 'S'. Of course you should avoid studded tires if you're optimizing for noise, but also All-terrain tires are going to be loud.
- dpark 8y ago
  1. Why would smaller tires be any quieter? 2. Smaller rims do not mean smaller tires. On a given car model, the outside diameter of the tire will be essentially fixed. If they have multiple wheel diameters, the tire sidewall height will change to accommodate the wheel diameter. Technically smaller-diameter rims actually mean larger tires.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - undersuit 8y ago
    You're right about the sizing. I didn't separate my wording of tire and rims enough. I will defer to a blurb I just Googled: http://elevatingsound.com/your-guide-to-getting-quiet-tires-that-reduce-road-noise/ http://elevatingsound.com/your-guide-to-getting-quiet-tires-...

cronix 8y ago

It's quite noticeable when going from "new" asphalt to old or vice versa at freeway speeds. Air resistance adds quite a bit of sound as well, the faster you go.