[JimmyEV]

One thing I've noticed with some of the new EVs that are coming out is that they're using fake noise to try replace the engine noise from a regular gas engine.

Porsche decided to create their own sound for the Taycan.

While Ford decided to use a fake engine noise for the Mustang Mach-E.

Which has me wondering, what will the R1T and R1S sound like? I'd be disappointed if Rivian ends up using a fake motor sound.

 

[EyeOnRivian]

Which has me wondering, what will the R1T and R1S sound like? I'd be disappointed if Rivian ends up using a fake motor sound.

Just one of many unknowns still. Whatever they pick, what I think will be important to most is the ability to turn the fake sound off. Next, would be the ability to add your own sound. Now how cool would that be?

 

[JimmyEV]

Just one of many unknowns still. Whatever they pick, what I think will be important to most is the ability to turn the fake sound off. Next, would be the ability to add your own sound. Now how cool would that be?

I can see that being a fun feature at first but then it spirals out of control because of people going crazy with it haha.

Turning it off will be interesting because there are sound regulations now for low speeds. At the very least I hope Rivian doesn't put a fake engine sound in.

 

[EyeOnRivian]

I'm a little unclear about this "fake sound" thing. I'm aware "some" auto manufactures are supplying some type of "external" audible noise that will emit at low speeds. I've heard up to 18 mph. Notice I didn't use the words required or regulation. If it's "regulated" then by who? Self-regulated by the auto industry? Where are these regulations documented and what body wrote and is maintaining these regulations?

Currently multiple auto manufactures of EVs are exploring different sounds. If the synthesized sounds are regulated you would think there would be some guidelines on what sounds they could emit, e.g, pitch ranges, loudness, duration, speed range, etc. I happened to bring this topic up with a friend of mine about a month or so ago who owns a Tesla. He said Tesla hasn't pushed out any sound nor are they required to. (Is he mistaken?)

Next, I've read some articles and watched some videos where they talk about these synthesized sounds from inside the vehicle like with the video for the Mack E in the OP. So is the "industry" looking to synthesize internal and/or external sounds for EVs? My comment above of the user supplying their own sound was based on the sound emitting only for the inside of the cabin. Clearly you would not want the user to pick any sound to be emitted outside of the cabin. Again, regulation guidelines? In addition, note in the Mach E video, the sound continues well beyond low speeds. Another variant to the industry self-regulating these "synthesized sounds?"

I fully admit I have not closely followed the developments (implementations?) of these synthesized sounds. I get the impression no official regulations exist since it appears this particular topic is still being explored within the industry, but I could be wrong. So please pardon my ignorance if some formal regulations exist some where.

 

[Tostik]

When I was a kid, we would put baseball cards in the spokes of our bicycles to try and make them sound like motorcycles. I would be for the baseball card sound.

 

[EyeOnRivian]

Had a little time to do some high level research about a sound to be emitted from EVs and hybrids.

I found the following in a The Verge article:

"In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require that all hybrid and electric vehicles emit artificial noise by September 2020, although they’ll have to emit the sounds up to the slightly faster speed of 18.6 mph."

Also found "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141, Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. A Proposed Rule by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on 09/17/2019"

And then this fairly recent CNet article:

Drivers may choose electric car alert sounds, US proposal says
By 2020, quiet cars must emit a noise to alert others to their presence, but drivers may be able to choose the noise.By Sean Szymkowski , September 16, 2019 12:24 PM PDT
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/electric-car-sound-alert-noise-us-regulation/#comments

After lengthy delays, in 2018 the US finalized regulations for electric cars and other quiet vehicles to emit a sound at speeds under 18.6 mph. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's updated proposal, however, may provide drivers some variety.

Rather than one sound per vehicle model, the government agency now proposes drivers be able to select an electric-car alert sound. Reuters first reported the news on Monday. NHTSA will now leave the proposal up for a public comment period.

NHTSA wants the public's opinion "on whether there should be a limit to the number of compliant sounds that a manufacturer can install in a vehicle and what that limit should be."

As of this month, automakers are required to equip 50% of their "quiet cars," which applies to silent electric vehicles, with an alert noise at low speeds. The rules, first brought about in 2010, have been delayed for years, but come 2020, every quiet vehicle will need the alert mechanism. Regulators concluded cars make enough noise from tire and wind noise to forego the alert above 18.6 mph (that's 30 kph in case you're wondering why so precise a figure).

Think of the sound as a gentle reminder when strolling through parking lots with cars backing out of spaces and crawling through the area. It's nice to hear a car approach, and something we take for granted with internal-combustion engines. NHTSA said the alert will help prevent 2,400 injuries annually.

As for what kind of sounds exist today, they're mostly just loud enough to hear and don't disrupt the idea of silent driving in electric vehicles. Tomorrow, who knows? Maybe we'll have Teslas sounding like Hellcats.

So by the time R1T and R1S go production, Rivian will require they emit a sound at low speeds. However, I didn't read about any option allowing the driver to turn off the sound. That's not to say the option isn't allowed, only that I haven't read it ... yet.

 

[eHauler]

I hope there will be an option to turn it off otherwise we'll have to look into some sort of hack.

 

[R99]

Had a little time to do some high level research about a sound to be emitted from EVs and hybrids.

I found the following in a The Verge article:

"In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require that all hybrid and electric vehicles emit artificial noise by September 2020, although they’ll have to emit the sounds up to the slightly faster speed of 18.6 mph."

Also found "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141, Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. A Proposed Rule by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on 09/17/2019"

And then this fairly recent CNet article:

Drivers may choose electric car alert sounds, US proposal says
By 2020, quiet cars must emit a noise to alert others to their presence, but drivers may be able to choose the noise.By Sean Szymkowski , September 16, 2019 12:24 PM PDT
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/electric-car-sound-alert-noise-us-regulation/#comments

After lengthy delays, in 2018 the US finalized regulations for electric cars and other quiet vehicles to emit a sound at speeds under 18.6 mph. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's updated proposal, however, may provide drivers some variety.

Rather than one sound per vehicle model, the government agency now proposes drivers be able to select an electric-car alert sound. Reuters first reported the news on Monday. NHTSA will now leave the proposal up for a public comment period.

NHTSA wants the public's opinion "on whether there should be a limit to the number of compliant sounds that a manufacturer can install in a vehicle and what that limit should be."

As of this month, automakers are required to equip 50% of their "quiet cars," which applies to silent electric vehicles, with an alert noise at low speeds. The rules, first brought about in 2010, have been delayed for years, but come 2020, every quiet vehicle will need the alert mechanism. Regulators concluded cars make enough noise from tire and wind noise to forego the alert above 18.6 mph (that's 30 kph in case you're wondering why so precise a figure).

Think of the sound as a gentle reminder when strolling through parking lots with cars backing out of spaces and crawling through the area. It's nice to hear a car approach, and something we take for granted with internal-combustion engines. NHTSA said the alert will help prevent 2,400 injuries annually.

As for what kind of sounds exist today, they're mostly just loud enough to hear and don't disrupt the idea of silent driving in electric vehicles. Tomorrow, who knows? Maybe we'll have Teslas sounding like Hellcats.

So by the time R1T and R1S go production, Rivian will require they emit a sound at low speeds. However, I didn't read about any option allowing the driver to turn off the sound. That's not to say the option isn't allowed, only that I haven't read it ... yet.

Instead of the driver turning the sound on and off, I wonder if the noise disappears automatically one you get past 18.6 mph.

 

[EyeOnRivian]

Instead of the driver turning the sound on and off, I wonder if the noise disappears automatically one you get past 18.6 mph.

I would hope so, or at least give the driver that option. That's why I kind of question the synthesized sound we hear in the video in the OP. That is, are we hearing an external sound or an internal/cabin only sound for its pure aesthetics and enjoyment by the vehicle occupants? If the latter, than I think the manufacturer can do whatever they want. However, if we are truly hearing an external sound in the Mach-E, clearly Ford decided to leave (or give the ability to leave) the sound on beyond 18.6 mph. Then again, it is a prototype and it all could change by the time it goes production especially with the regulation kicking in Sep 2020.

 

[JimmyEV]

I would hope so, or at least give the driver that option. That's why I kind of question the synthesized sound we hear in the video in the OP. That is, are we hearing an external sound or an internal/cabin only sound for its pure aesthetics and enjoyment by the vehicle occupants? If the latter, than I think the manufacturer can do whatever they want. However, if we are truly hearing an external sound in the Mach-E, clearly Ford decided to leave (or give the ability to leave) the sound on beyond 18.6 mph. Then again, it is a prototype and it all could change by the time it goes production especially with the regulation kicking in Sep 2020.

I think the Mach-E's is going to be internal like the Porsche's. I've watched a bunch of Taycan videos and the Taycan sounds quiet outside and inside you can turn that futuristic sound on and off.

 

[thrill]

My i3s has an external sound, which you cannot hear from the inside, and you can also turn it off.

 

[JimmyEV]

My i3s has an external sound, which you cannot hear from the inside, and you can also turn it off.

I didn't think you'd be able to turn it off for safety reasons, that's interesting.

 

[thrill]

There's a lot of debate about the actual utility of it, versus the fact that it's noise pollution (with admittedly perhaps some value if engineered for focus, etc.) but I think the "well, it's something" attitude of regulation will prevail and being able to turn it off will go away. Wikipedia Electric vehicle warning sounds - Wikipedia has a pretty extensive overview.

 

[JimmyEV]

It looks like starting in September it's going to be mandatory for hybrids and EVs to emit warning sounds travelling at less than 18.6 mph (30 km/h). So Rivian is going to have to create some kind of noise.

 

[EVnow!]

Because the driver of this requirement is coming from a safety standpoint, I’m sure there won’t be a way to disable the sound. We had an early model Prius that was completely silent in EV mode (other than tire noise), and I remember at least two stories from that era of children being injured (one actually died) in school parking lots where kids are moving fast and not paying as much attention. The next Prius we got had a subtle, but noticeable, “fan” kind of noise at low speeds. I assume it stopped at higher speeds, but it has never been an issue or something we find irritating. Elders would also be more at risk with compromised hearing.

 

[JimmyEV]

Because the driver of this requirement is coming from a safety standpoint, I’m sure there won’t be a way to disable the sound. We had an early model Prius that was completely silent in EV mode (other than tire noise), and I remember at least two stories from that era of children being injured (one actually died) in school parking lots where kids are moving fast and not paying as much attention. The next Prius we got had a subtle, but noticeable, “fan” kind of noise at low speeds. I assume it stopped at higher speeds, but it has never been an issue or something we find irritating. Elders would also be more at risk with compromised hearing.

It's pretty much an inevitability at this point.