Noises on!

Post by **bmscott** » Wed, 16 Nov 2016, 19:19

The U.S. gub'mint has finalized rules about how quiet electric cars should make sounds at low speeds.

I remember reading, quite a few years ago, that some carmakers had already licensed some iconic car sounds from popular media, like Bladerunner and The Jetsons, but I'm not about to go look that up now.

Obviously, you'll be able to select your car noise like a ringtone. Anyone fancy the clip-clop of a horse? The asthmatic wheeze of Speed Buggy? Ice cream truck tunes?

Post by **Rusdy** » Thu, 17 Nov 2016, 00:20

I might consider some business to rent my low-speed-noise for advertising.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n17B_uFF4cA

Post by **neilg** » Thu, 17 Nov 2016, 06:15

While I was in Florence recently I noticed quite a few electric vehicles (mainly taxis) roaming the streets and often they would manually turn on a slow beeper or some other sound when pedestrians were in front of them. Florence near the El Domo is full of narrow one way streets and a very popular tourist area.

Post by **Richo** » Thu, 17 Nov 2016, 20:31

Round here you wont here it from the Harley's that clearly break the noise regulations.
Seriously I don't need to know that you are 2km away.

I once heard a car that had rotating farm yard noises - chickens, cows...

Post by **zzcoopej** » Wed, 23 Nov 2016, 22:25

Well the AVAS in the Outlander PHEV is annoying once you first notice it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEivtfIVNow
I usually switch it off which needs to be done every time you drive.
Tyres make lots of noise, you can hardly hear the ICE of a specific modern vehicle near you, except under heavy acceleration.

Post by **Ultralights** » Thu, 24 Nov 2016, 00:13

used to annoy me at first, used to it now and rarely notice it

Post by **bmscott** » Thu, 24 Nov 2016, 14:18

As Wikipedia notes, "A separate 2008 study from Western Michigan University found that hybrids and conventional vehicles are equally safe when travelling more than about 20 miles per hour (32 km/h), because tire and wind noise generate most of the audible cues at those speeds."

I'm thinking more about the commercial market for novelty sounds. The Flintstones' pedaling-feet noise, or an F-1 engine rev, etc. The roads are about to get a lot noisier...

Post by **Richo** » Thu, 24 Nov 2016, 20:27

zzcoopej wrote:I usually switch it off which needs to be done every time you drive.

Yeah I have similar problem but with the Traction control

Post by **T1 Terry** » Thu, 24 Nov 2016, 22:35

Maybe a Keith Black top fuel dragster while idling and reversing back after the burn out. Margaret wants the Kombi to still have the VW dak dak noise at town speeds. I remember our first test dive in a Miev at a Sydney motor show just before they were released, approaching a pedestrian crossing a woman just stepped off the foot path about 10 mts from the pedestrian crossing to cut the corner so to speak. Fortunately the Mitsubishi driver was behind the wheel and must have been alert to watch for such activities, if I'd been driving I would have hit her for sure. The look on her face like "where the hell did you come from" suggested that hearing a vehicle is probably the first alert that makes them look to see how far away the vehicle is before stepping out onto the roadway.

T1 Terry

Post by **Peter C in Canberra** » Sat, 24 Dec 2016, 02:35

In 8 years of driving an EV I have never had anyone do a double take or give any sign of noticing anything odd about my converted charade or iMiEV. I think the quietness is a non-issue.

Post by **mikedufty** » Sat, 24 Dec 2016, 07:30

We've had quite a few comment on our i-MiEV's sneakyness. Only in car park situations though. I think it would probably make sense for the reversing beeper to be on the outside instead of the inside. Going forwards I don't see it being hazardous at the speeds it is actually silent.

Post by **Peter C in Canberra** » Sat, 24 Dec 2016, 12:39

mikedufty wrote: We've had quite a few comment on our i-MiEV's sneakyness. Only in car park situations though. I think it would probably make sense for the reversing beeper to be on the outside instead of the inside. Going forwards I don't see it being hazardous at the speeds it is actually silent.

Comments - yes - but they are from people who noticed the car, were talking to you and commented. How many actually did not notice and got a scare or mildly startled or had a near miss? In my experience, none.

Post by **g4qber** » Sat, 24 Dec 2016, 15:03

Do we need noises for teleportation?
Perhaps electrical crackling might work.
Eg terminators arriving from future.

I heard the buzzing/crackling last night in humid Perth and high tension power lines

Post by **Peter C in Canberra** » Sat, 24 Dec 2016, 16:50

I once found a nerdy web site with sound files for every TARDiS materialisation and dematerialisation sound ever used in a Dr. Who episode. I thought those on random might be good, if I had to have a sound at all.

Post by **mark_hetho** » Tue, 07 Feb 2017, 03:21

If this becomes mandatory, but you are able to choose your audio, what if someone records silence and loads that in?

I don't envy the guy that has to write the algorithm to decide what is valid noise!