Electric cars were supposed to be less noisy than internal combustion engines. In fact, they are so quiet that manufacturers have to add “pedestrian warning sounds” to make sure pedestrians can hear cars and make way for them. However I can hear them when sitting in my apartment with the windows open. Or when I’m just walking around in the city. In the end, I find some of them more noisy and annoying than internal combustion engines when they are moving at low speed.
So far the most noisy electric cars to me are Hyundai and Chevrolet.
I know they are just complying with safety regulations in their own way. After all, people can’t drive a two ton lethal silent vehicle at speed in compact and dense urban environments without at least making some sort of alien spaceship noise, for safety. But it’s making some electric cars annoying to me. So in the not so distant future, living in a city will sound like this?!
So, aside from those two, what are the other brands that are making their electric cars more noisy and annoying than cars with internal combustion engines?
That’s wrong. Several people have blurted this and it’s wrong.
EVs have different tires, they have less rolling resistance and a foam liner to absorb sound, because otherwise all the driver would hear is tire noise.
https://www.michelinman.com/auto/auto-tips-and-advice/electric-mobility-guide/quiet-and-comfortable
EVs also have lower air drag, which makes less noise.
By far, the most noise on roadways is from chunky tread brodozers and 18 wheelers.
OK but it’s up to the owner to decide on what tires they want on their car. These same quiet tires can be put onto an ICE car, and the same cheap and loud all seasons you get at the corner tire shop can go on an EV. I live in a winter city and you better believe if I owned an EV it would be wearing studded tires which are obnoxiously loud regardless of the engine.
Can’t we agree that cars are loud and it would be better to get them out of our cities so we can walk and bike in peace?