Autoblog

Audi developing powertrain sound of the future for R8 e-tron

John Neff — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, Audi, Electric

Audi knows sound, and it wants its upcoming plug-in cars to have as distinctive a grumble as possible, just like its fossil-fuel-burning brethren. That's why Audi engineers are working on "new sound signatures" for future e-tron models. You can tell how seriously Audi is taking this by the way it references the sounds a car makes to music and "emotional sound structures" in the press release below.

The stated reason for all this e-sound work is so pedestrians will be able to hear the near-silent EVs, but you could just use any old beep to meet that requirement. Audi wants something a bit more refined, to stand out from the space-y blips that the Nissan Leaf puts out or the Volkswagen E-Golf's baby Wookiee growl.

Scroll down to see a video of the Audi e-sound in progress. In its current form, the sound changes based on what the e-tron is doing. It comes out of a speaker blasting up to 40 watts that is attached to the bottom of the car.

Of course, the question from some blind-advocacy groups is whether having each EV make its own sound is reasonable, or if there should be one "EV sound" that all battery-powered cars are required to emit to tell those with limited sight "a car is nearby." In the U.S., the laws governing EV sounds are not yet set, but some sort of low-speed warning requirement seems to be coming.

Continue reading Audi developing powertrain sound of the future for R8 e-tron

Audi developing powertrain sound of the future for R8 e-tron originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Blind group displeased that Nissan Leaf sound can be turned off

Autoblog Staff — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:05:00 EST

Nissan Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Nissan Leaf is the first of the new batch of electric vehicles to reveal its pedestrian-alert sound. While advocates for the blind are pleased with the introduction of the audible warning, the National Federation for the Blind is not happy that the Nissan Leaf will allow drivers to disable this feature.

The main point of creating artificial sounds is to help pedestrians who rely on hearing to know whether a car is approaching. If drivers can turn the system off, the effort is rendered pointless. Nissan says it added the switch to balance the needs of drivers and pedestrians while also claiming the sound is not really audible inside the car. As with the disable switches for stability control systems, the noise is only turned off for the current drive cycle. Each time the car is shut off, the noise is re-enabled. We see the value in turning off such audible signatures in limited circumstances (teens creeping up their parents' driveways after curfew, whirring in late to a drive-in movie, etc.).That said, we also understand the NFB's concerns.

The introduction of electric vehicles to mainstream consumers is in its infancy, with new legal standards still evolving. To that end, the National Federation for the Blind plans to continue pursuing legislation that mandates permanent sound systems in all hybrid and electric vehicles.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: The New York Times]

Report: Blind group displeased that Nissan Leaf sound can be turned off originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Leaf will break the EV silence with a digital whistle [w/video]

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf EV sound - Click above for video after the jump

As we get closer to seeing significant numbers of electric vehicles come to market, various standards are starting to emerge that cover things like how these vehicles are to be charged and how to measure range and equivalent mileage. One feature that remains up in the air is the sound signature of electric vehicles. For years, EV advocates have touted the silent operation of battery-powered vehicles as a bonus.

However, advocates for the blind and safety regulators are pushing for electric vehicles to produce some audible alert that indicates their presence. According to Just-Auto, beginning next week, Nissan will be bringing in 500 people including media, government officials and customers who have signed up to buy the Leaf to drive the car at its Oppama, Japan test track.

Among other things, they will be evaluating the "approaching vehicle sound" that will be used for the Leaf and Fuga (Infiniti M37) hybrid. Nissan is testing a system that produces external sounds that sweep across a range of frequencies to insure that almost anyone can hear it. The sound will also vary depending on whether the car is accelerating or decelerating. Follow the jump to hear a sample of what the Leaf will sound like, which to our ears is something like a robot whistling dixie. Top tip, Tohe!

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Leaf EV

[Source: Just-Auto]

Continue reading Nissan Leaf will break the EV silence with a digital whistle [w/video]

Nissan Leaf will break the EV silence with a digital whistle [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coming Soon: Downloadable ringtones for your silent electric car?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Electric

Like to download new ringtones for your phone so that you don't sound like everybody else in the world that opts for the free cell phones from their chosen service provider? The same kind of thing is reportedly in the works for future electric cars.

We've been hearing for the last few years that the near silent nature of hybrids and EVs is a potential safety problem for pedestrians, especially for children and those hard of hearing, and these so-called "car tones" are seen as a possible answer to this problem.

At this point, there isn't any real data that suggests these quiet cars are any more or less dangerous to pedestrians than any other two-ton behemoth rolling down the road, but its still an issue being looked at closely by automakers.

According to the New York Times, companies like BMW, Fisker and Nissan are currently working with Hollywood special-effects teams and the film industry on new sounds that could be downloaded to current and future electric cars. We want our first EV to sound like Darth Vader's TIE Fighter and the horn to grunt like Chewie. Why not?

[Source: New York Times | Photo: Flickr/robad0b via C.C. 2.0]

Coming Soon: Downloadable ringtones for your silent electric car? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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