Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Should electric vehicles make an artificial noise or be allowed to run silently? Opinion is divided both within the industry and among other interested parties and it’s a subject we have debated many times.

Those that want to keep them silent argue that one of the attractions for city centre driving is the noiseless glide of an EV – once speed is above 20mph tyre noise is enough to warn people that a car is approaching.

Those that argue for adding artificial noise are worried that pedestrians, especially those who are elderly or incapacitated in some way – impaired hearing or sight, for example – need a distinctive audible warning of a car’s approach.

There’s a lot of research at the moment into the best sound to have, whether we only need it for reversing as buses and trucks have to have now, and the Alliance as a leader in EV is playing its part. One thing we are looking at is having the noise projected outwards so that the cabin remains quiet.

We’re looking at various options including white noise, computer noise or the noise of the podracers in the Star Wars movies. There are endless possibilities, but one thing we won’t have is the throaty roar of a powerful engine!

In the meantime, we, like the rest of the industry, will work with the European Commission ahead of its recommendations in 2012 as well as other legislators around the globe as they shape their EV strategies.