https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/business/electric-car-noises.html Since everybody already knows what cars sound like, why not use that noise?
Long and protracted Whoopy Cushion noises? Can also be modified for rain as well…
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There is no need to do that at all. Another article written by people who know nothing about cars.
The EV’s in my neighborhood make exactly the same noise as a Lexus sedan as they approach my bicycle. Tire noise. I cannot hear any engine noise as they approach over the tire noise. The same for a Bentley or a Chevy Equinox or a Toyota Camry. I can hear them coming towards me making only a mild roar from the tires. This noise is clear enough for a sightless person to identify a car. You, as a biker, should be familiar with this.
None of these cars makes enough engine noise to be heard over tire noise as they approach. Most don’t make enough noise to be heard when they drive away with the tailpipes pointed directly AT you. And that direction of travel doesn’t matter to a pedestrian nor a bicyclist.
I just wish pedestrians would get their eyes off their phones and look both ways before crossing the street so they won’t be hit by a driver with their eyes on their own phones.
This is a non-problem in no need of a solution.
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Very True @Mustangman
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True, my F-150 with the 5.0 can barely be heard until the radiator fan comes on.
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The “Clewiston Cadillacs” - jacked up 4x4’s with monster tires - make so much tire noise even the rolling coal exhaust stacks can’t drown it out!
Wow that is a new term to me, closest I have heard, ghetto rider or pimpmobile, for cars, for trucks lifted or monster.
Clewiston is an agricultural town in central Florida. Lots of fancy lifted pickups in town.
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How about an always on loud-speaker spewing a speech from somebody like AOC, advocating electric cars to save us and the entire planet from rising sea levels, falling skies, shark attacks, hurricanes, cow farts, and other problems associated with ICE powered vehicles?
Two birds, one stone… an alert to the presence of an otherwise stealthy, zero carbon footprint vehicle, and an admonition to those not driving EVs!
CSA
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My Hybrid Accord makes some “battleship sound”, found one on YouTube 
I’ve noticed it is effective with pedestrians… makes them puzzled ?
Here’s a better idea. People who are too dumb to look both ways before crossing the road, too lazy to walk to a designated crosswalk, too engrossed in their cellphone to watch where they’re going need to be purged from the gene pool, hopefully before they have a chance to breed. Heck, where I live, it is not uncommon to see transients wacked-out on drugs wandering into busy traffic.
I have no problem with motor vehicles being the Grim Reaper that brings these fools to where they belong, however these kind of accidents often times traumatize the driver and inflict substantial damage to their car. I am not sure a “synthetic noise” will help, because these kind of people are too oblivious to their surroundings.
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Wow, that’s quite a program statement…
I’m glad my car not only makes that “battleship sound” when in EV mode, but auto-recognizes pedestrians and applies brakes even if the driver missed the imminent collision. Not a full-proof guarantee, but improves the chances for the Grim Reaper not being needed
How about really loud elephant trumpeting . . . ?
That should get most people’s attention
Except for those guys who are so addicted to their smart phones, that they’ll walk out into traffic and get clobbered
can’t fix stupid . . . to quote one of the regulars from just a few days ago
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This topic came up while I was at a training center 15 years ago. It was stated that in Europe there was an interest in requiring electric cars to emit a sound, a melody but people could not agree on the melody.
Those who work around hybrid and electric cars are aware of how they pass though parking lots with a stealth like manner, there is no tire noise at 5 to 10 MPH. I have had hybrid vehicles pass by me from behind by surprise several times.
That would eliminate a lot of people, I often see our secretaries and sales ladies walking down the middle of the driveway while wearing big clumsy shoes and with a phone to their ear walking from the parking lot to the building, about 300 feet. The driveway is shared with local residents, delivery trucks and garbage trucks, for some reason they won’t use the sidewalk.
What about the blind people?
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Imagine every car on the road playing- Baby Shark da doo ta do ta doooo…
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I know that I am not what you would call “normal”… Its been a lifelong affliction of mine but to be honest I don’t usually operate or move through my world by sound alone. I have, at all times all of my senses in the game. Sight, sound, smell, touch… and whatever else fully engaged, always.
Sure these vehicles are stealthy sometimes, but I’ve already seen its movement from afar, because I am paying attention. How are we supposed to teach people that they should be paying attention to their surroundings.
Guardrails and signs have destroyed the natural beauty of many places that I have been… For instance, do you really need a sign and huge fence in front of you when you are standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon? I’ve been there and laughed at many of the signs and rails etc… Seemed awful obvious to me where your last step should be before severe and irreversible bodily damage would occur. But again, I’m a simple man.
Where does it all end?
Yes, exactly: the blind community spearheaded this conversation. We make coins so blind people can distinguish them by feel. We cut curbs for the wheelchair-bound.
Please don’t try to take my comment out of context
My comment was about stupid people who are looking down at their phone, obvlivous to their surroundings, and then walk out into a busy intersection, where they get clobbered
I made no comments about blind people
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