Why Some EVs Have Artificial Acceleration Noise — and What It’s Copyin
For many gearheads, part of the allure of a sporting vehicle is the racket emanating from its powertrain. It’s true most of us imagine a rumbly exhaust or baritone bark from the tailpipe but, truth be told, induction noise can be equally intoxicating when done right. And then there’s the famous ‘stu-tu-tu-tu-tu’ of turbo flutter or scream of a supercharger when those power adders are present.
This is often among the vitriol thrown at EVs by some people with a need for speed. “Sure,” they say, “You can technically cook dinner in a microwave - but it’ll be a lot tastier on a grill.” In this, a point is made. EVs typically have no trouble going quickly, especially from a standing start. All that torque available at precisely zero rpm is a great way to launch oneself into the middle of next week by hitting the accelerator pedal. But without accompanying aural drama, the feat - for some - is far less impressive.
[Images: Hyundai, Ford]
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That’s why some car companies have taken to adding acceleration noise into their electric vehicles. Early efforts were mixed, to say the least. Some of them sounded like a slightly out of tune alien space ship ripping its way to warp speed, a sound which may have been amusing in small doses on a sci-fi show but utterly bizarre when sustained on a long road trip.
Switching back and forth between alien ship and rough approximation of internal combustion provided varying levels of entertainment and annoyance. Fortunately, it all could be turned off, leaving one to drive in silence between charging stops.
But car companies have come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Witness the absolutely bonkers Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, a vehicle which looks like a hot hatchback when viewed on its own but is actually closer in size to a Kona or even a Tucson.
This car gets the ‘hot’ part of hot hatchback right, with staggering amounts of horsepower and functions like N Grin Boost and a psychotic drift mode which allows even this ham-handed author to pull off decent drifts. There’s simply a massive amount of performance-based technology at hand in an Ioniq 5 N.
Including an incredibly sophisticated system which introduces noise, vibration, and harshness into the equation. That’s right - after years of carmakers trying to banish NVH from their vehicles, at least one is trying to add it back into the mix. Different levels of engagement are at play, ranging from the simple rise-and-fall racket with the pull of a paddle or stomp of a pedal to the full-on slam banging of a single-speed transmission doing a credible job of simulating a dual-clutch gearbox.
Track rats rely on powertrain noise as part of eking out ever-better lap times (it’s incredible how yer ears learn to know what sound a car should be making in a certain gear in a certain corner) and this system in the Ioniq 5 N brings the goods in this regard. With power gaps accompanied by jolts between fake shifts it’s probably not ultimately the fastest way around the track, but since when are gearheads a logical bunch? Noise - we need it.
