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Audi ‘acousticians’ are deliberating
over the best way to break the silence of the brand’s forthcoming
‘e-tron’ electric cars, which make virtually no sound at speeds of up to
15mph, to alert other road users to their presence. Drawing inspiration
from numerous sources, including science fiction blockbusters such as
‘I, ROBOT’, which features the Audi RSQ electric coupe, electromobility
experts hope to create an ‘engine note’ that reflects the futuristic
nature of these cars while also upholding the premium brand values
synonymous with Vorsprung durch Technik.
The risk to other road users of cars
cruising the streets in near silence is obvious. There is only one
logical conclusion for the sound technicians at Audi: The electric car
of the future needs its own sound – but which one?
“We speak of quiet cars when an
electric car is driven at a speed between 0 –15mph,” explains Dr. Ralf
Kunkel, Head of Acoustics at AUDI AG. Noise from the rolling of the
tyres and from the slipstream comes to the fore above this speed, at
which point an electric car is no longer significantly more quiet than a
conventional vehicle.
The fact that this new form of
transportation is particularly quiet is, of course, another factor of
its success, as environmentally-friendly cars should not only reduce
emissions, but also noise pollution. However, speed without the typical
road noises that serve as a signal carries risks: The sense of hearing
allows other road-users in traffic to monitor all 360 degrees of their
surroundings, whereas their eyes only cover a limited angle. People with
poorer vision or who are distracted can easily overlook a car.
Organisations for the blind worldwide
therefore advocate giving quiet cars a unique sound; specifications or
laws to this effect are already in place in the USA and Japan.
Synthesised sound for
pedestrian protection
The sound technicians at Audi have long
since taken up the task of protecting pedestrians in the electric
mobility era. “One way do this is by generating artificial noise in
electric cars,” says Kunkel.
The acousticians are currently hard at
work on the sound characteristics of the Audi e-tron. It is not just a
matter of safety, but also a question of how the Audi of the future
should sound. “The obvious approach would be to work on the basis of the
familiar sound of a combustion engine,” says Christian Schüller, Head of
Brand Development/Corporate Identity. “On the other hand, we want to
underscore that an electric or hybrid Audi is an innovative product. We
also want to make our Vorsprung durch Technik audible in the era of
electric mobility.”
The rustling of leaves, the twittering
of birds or shrill tones such as those used by Snow Cat extreme terrain
vehicles are therefore not viable options. However: “The sounds used for
space ships in films are reminiscent of car sounds, yet are also very
different, making this a rather interesting approach,” says Kunkel. An
Audi will not sound like an aeroplane with jet engines or a space ship
from a science fiction film any time soon, though. “But the sound will
be new and unusual. The Audi RSQ from the 2004 Hollywood film ‘I,
Robot’, starring Will Smith, gives an indication of how an Audi might
sound in the future.”
Audi A1
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