5 ms·

EVs will require a mind change. I have a hybrid. I drive it in St Augustine FL, America’s oldest city. As such the roads in the historic district are narrow. W

EVs will require a mind change. I have a hybrid. I drive it in St Augustine FL, America’s oldest city. As such the roads in the historic district are narrow. When I come to an intersection I have to be especially conscientious because pedestrians are use to engine noise bouncing down the road ahead of the car. People have walked out in front of me unaware of my existence. I normally mouth, “Surprise, motha fucka” or “I’m Batman” when that happens.

cerberusss 6y ago
Yeah people will need to get aware of that. I'm European and drive a Renault Zoe. It plays some sort of "whoooooo" noise from under the bonnet/hood when you drive slower than 30 km (19 mi). On one hand, I think it's dumb because why am I explicitly making noise? So I turned it off. But then I scared the living hell out of two shopping ladies when I unintentionally crept up behind them, and now I always leave it on.
- imhoguy 6y ago
  Not much benefit from any kind of engine and noise when people walk or cycle with earphones. That is very usual view for me nowadays. Worse if they also stare at they phones too - blind and deaf at will.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    I've said this before in comments but I just really have trouble understanding people who can walk--especially in cities--with earphones. I know some are less isolating than others--some like the pass through mode on the Airpod Pros. But I don't even really like earphones on a forest path much less a city street. I guess it's somewhat a matter of what you're used to. I grew up pre-Walkman and have just never gotten into the habit of wearing earphones like that.
johnny_reilly 6y ago
Are you Batman?
- rzzzt 6y ago
  Nobody saw them in the same place at the same time, so...
- pfraze 6y ago
  That’s a controversy
ck425 6y ago
That or we can get to a point where we reduce cars in cities to a minimum. We'll probably still need car noise for the few that exist but the better solution in most ways is just to have way less cars.
- andrekandre 6y ago
  i have a crazy dream that all roads would be underground... how beautiful the landscape would be without roads...
  - jacquesm 6y ago
    You'd need a lot of exit ramps going up though, and it would be pretty tricky for emergency services to reach the places they need to go to. Personally I'm a big fan of reducing through traffic as much as possible and banning vehicles other than for the disabled and emergency services from city cores.
    - andrekandre 6y ago
      yea, i think logistically its super hard and most likely not practical at all, but it would be amazing if possible...
  - wizzwizz4 6y ago
    Have you read Eliezer Yudkowsky's April Fools' Day confession? https://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/post/81447230971/my-april-fools-day-confession https://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/post/81447230971/my-april-fools...
    - andrekandre 6y ago
      i havent, thanks for the link ^^ > We could have big houses, with windows that shutter in the summer mornings to keep out every bit of the too-early light of dawn, or shutter in the night to leave the stars absolutely untouched. We could have roofs that let in the sun. oh god, yes please!
servercobra 6y ago
In the US, EVs and hybrids will be required (I'm unclear on the details from the articles I've seen though) to emit artificial noise under 18.6 mph by Sept 2020, and in the EU, under 15 mph by July 2021. [0] Hopefully that will help some, but I'm not excited for the first wave of noises. I'm betting a few are going to be really annoying. [0] https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/1/20676854/electric-cars-artificial-safety-noise-low-speeds-european-union-rules-2019-2021 https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/1/20676854/electric-cars-art...
- withinboredom 6y ago
  I'm looking forward to it. I use hearing when coming up on intersections in my neighborhood and on a bicycle. The visibility is terrible. I'm never at risk of being run over, but it always shocks me pretty good to see a car coming towards the intersection without a sound. I can hear up to 19khz so I usually hear the batteries/motors, but not all cars make that sound.
  - jrussino 6y ago
    I empathize with this viewpoint, but I can't understate how strongly I oppose this idea. Road noise is extremely unpleasant! If somehow the electric motor vehicle had been invented first instead of the ICE there is no way anybody would have proposed that we make them artificially louder... we can put other, much more effective traffic safety measures in place. I too enjoy cycling and understand that there are serious safety problems involved with cars and bikes sharing the road and that and most of our cities have done a poor job of dealing with them. I don't think keeping around legacy noise pollution is the answer. It reminds me of this: https://xkcd.com/1172/ https://xkcd.com/1172/
    - wizzwizz4 6y ago
      > we can put other, much more effective traffic safety measures in place. Like? (Don't limit yourself to the easy-to-introduce-today; not everywhere has established road infrastructure, and your ideas could be used there.)
    - 6y ago

cerberusss 6y ago

Yeah people will need to get aware of that. I'm European and drive a Renault Zoe. It plays some sort of "whoooooo" noise from under the bonnet/hood when you drive slower than 30 km (19 mi). On one hand, I think it's dumb because why am I explicitly making noise? So I turned it off. But then I scared the living hell out of two shopping ladies when I unintentionally crept up behind them, and now I always leave it on.

imhoguy 6y ago
Not much benefit from any kind of engine and noise when people walk or cycle with earphones. That is very usual view for me nowadays. Worse if they also stare at they phones too - blind and deaf at will.
- ghaff 6y ago
  I've said this before in comments but I just really have trouble understanding people who can walk--especially in cities--with earphones. I know some are less isolating than others--some like the pass through mode on the Airpod Pros. But I don't even really like earphones on a forest path much less a city street. I guess it's somewhat a matter of what you're used to. I grew up pre-Walkman and have just never gotten into the habit of wearing earphones like that.

johnny_reilly 6y ago

Are you Batman?

rzzzt 6y ago
Nobody saw them in the same place at the same time, so...
pfraze 6y ago
That’s a controversy

ck425 6y ago

That or we can get to a point where we reduce cars in cities to a minimum. We'll probably still need car noise for the few that exist but the better solution in most ways is just to have way less cars.

andrekandre 6y ago
i have a crazy dream that all roads would be underground... how beautiful the landscape would be without roads...
- jacquesm 6y ago
  You'd need a lot of exit ramps going up though, and it would be pretty tricky for emergency services to reach the places they need to go to. Personally I'm a big fan of reducing through traffic as much as possible and banning vehicles other than for the disabled and emergency services from city cores.
  - andrekandre 6y ago
    yea, i think logistically its super hard and most likely not practical at all, but it would be amazing if possible...
- wizzwizz4 6y ago
  Have you read Eliezer Yudkowsky's April Fools' Day confession? https://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/post/81447230971/my-april-fools-day-confession https://yudkowsky.tumblr.com/post/81447230971/my-april-fools...
  - andrekandre 6y ago
    i havent, thanks for the link ^^ > We could have big houses, with windows that shutter in the summer mornings to keep out every bit of the too-early light of dawn, or shutter in the night to leave the stars absolutely untouched. We could have roofs that let in the sun. oh god, yes please!

servercobra 6y ago

In the US, EVs and hybrids will be required (I'm unclear on the details from the articles I've seen though) to emit artificial noise under 18.6 mph by Sept 2020, and in the EU, under 15 mph by July 2021. [0] Hopefully that will help some, but I'm not excited for the first wave of noises. I'm betting a few are going to be really annoying. [0] https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/1/20676854/electric-cars-artificial-safety-noise-low-speeds-european-union-rules-2019-2021 https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/1/20676854/electric-cars-art...

withinboredom 6y ago
I'm looking forward to it. I use hearing when coming up on intersections in my neighborhood and on a bicycle. The visibility is terrible. I'm never at risk of being run over, but it always shocks me pretty good to see a car coming towards the intersection without a sound. I can hear up to 19khz so I usually hear the batteries/motors, but not all cars make that sound.
- jrussino 6y ago
  I empathize with this viewpoint, but I can't understate how strongly I oppose this idea. Road noise is extremely unpleasant! If somehow the electric motor vehicle had been invented first instead of the ICE there is no way anybody would have proposed that we make them artificially louder... we can put other, much more effective traffic safety measures in place. I too enjoy cycling and understand that there are serious safety problems involved with cars and bikes sharing the road and that and most of our cities have done a poor job of dealing with them. I don't think keeping around legacy noise pollution is the answer. It reminds me of this: https://xkcd.com/1172/ https://xkcd.com/1172/
  - wizzwizz4 6y ago
    > we can put other, much more effective traffic safety measures in place. Like? (Don't limit yourself to the easy-to-introduce-today; not everywhere has established road infrastructure, and your ideas could be used there.)
  - 6y ago