Synthetic engine noise generation for improving electric vehicle safety

Abstract

Electric cars are commonly known not only to be environmentally friendly, but also to be very quiet. While a quiet car is generally a good thing, safety concerns have been raised that Electric Vehicles (EVs) may cause more frequent accidents involving pedestrians than Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars, as pedestrians may not notice an approaching EV. This paper conducts noise level measurement for EVs and ICE cars at different speeds. We then describe the implementation of a synthetic engine noise generator and examine its performance and its acceptance among drivers and pedestrians.