Edinburgh Napier University

  Sound is intrinsically linked to vehicles, drivers use it to monitor their actions and vehicle mechanical condition. Pedestrians and other road users rely on sound to prevent accidents. Motoring authorities in the EU, Japan and USA are concerned about electric vehicles’ absence of easily perceived sound and have passed regulations to ensure that vehicles will generate sound artificially. Designing sound for vehicles is not a new concept. Car engines and exhausts have regularly been tuned to produce the right ‘note’ so that customers feel that the engines are sufficiently powerful. Consequently, some manufacturers place microphones on the exhaust system to replay the sound inside the car to reassure owners that their car is indeed powerful, even generating synthesised sounds. At least one manufacturer performs an audio test on each car that comes of its production line, utilising a short, specialised circuit and a human driver, to ensure that no unusual sounds are present, which might make owners doubt the build quality of their car. Other manufacturers perform acoustic surveys to establish the perceived luxury of switches, doors and locks, amongst other mechanical components, in order to alter the manufacturing process so that in final use each aspect of the vehicle instils sonic confidence.