Have we been overthinking EV sounds?
Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images For years, automakers have been fussing over the sounds emitted by their electric vehicles, trying to tune them in a way that both presents as futuristic while also not alienating to people who are used to the rev of a four-cylinder engine. They seem to have settled on a series of sounds that could best be described as somewhere in between a whir and a hum. Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer — and not always in a good way. But according to a new survey, most people may prefer something else entirely. Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer — and not always in a good way The online survey of 400 adults in the US found the top-rated sound was a “non-tonal” sound more closely resembling a gas-powered car than any of... Continue reading…
![Have we been overthinking EV sounds?](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ax5hFJ1mY99NPGXWWFT8ZKRcgfE=/0x0:4645x3097/1200x628/filters:focal(2323x1549:2324x1550)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25499207/2156392929.jpg)
![Pedestrians and cars move through midtown Manhattan traffic.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YIHUPa6V47EGi9gEMQZdfVwTaPc=/0x0:4645x3097/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73418068/2156392929.0.jpg)
For years, automakers have been fussing over the sounds emitted by their electric vehicles, trying to tune them in a way that both presents as futuristic while also not alienating to people who are used to the rev of a four-cylinder engine.
They seem to have settled on a series of sounds that could best be described as somewhere in between a whir and a hum. Others would say it sounds like a flying saucer — and not always in a good way. But according to a new survey, most people may prefer something else entirely.
The online survey of 400 adults in the US found the top-rated sound was a “non-tonal” sound more closely resembling a gas-powered car than any of...
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