Car guys that love sound but also like electric cars, what determines what determines whether or not you like a certain electric car?

  • Thread starter furryboy96
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furryboy96

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bloodykills750
Like it says in the title. I still don't like electric cars only because they lack sound and fake sounds from speakers don't count. I am still hoping that someone creates a decent sounding electric car but at the moment, what determines whether or not I like is if the styling works with the lack of sound. I can't really explain it but basically if a electric car looks to similar a muscle car or a Ferrari or any car that I associate with a wonderful sound, I won't like that. Only a few cars have avoided that for me.(Porsche Taycan, Porsche Mission R, 2nd generation Tesla Roadster, Tesla Model S, new Delorean, on the fence with the Lucid Air) Basically the more futuristic a electric car looks, the more I'll probably like it, unless it is ugly as hell.
 
Most new cars are pretty quiet already, I don't really mind electric being virtually silent. On the other hand, I actually wouldn't mind if a company would get playful, and use straight cut gears for some music, I always enjoyed the way a quick-change rear end sings at you.
 
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EVs appeal to me because gas is $5 a gallon and electricity is $.11 a kWh, meaning it would cost roughly $12 to charge an EV capable of 300 miles. To get the same range out of my ICE vehicle, it would be $70.

When it comes to sound though, I don't want a loud car, at least not in my daily driver. A shouty exhaust is fun occasionally, but most of the time it's just annoying, especially if it drones when you're on the freeway.
 
I mainly drive in the city. So, the quietness of an EV is not a problem. I mean, it’s cool when hearing V8s rumbling off the walls in my neighbourhood, but I’m fine with the peace of an EV hum.
 
I absolutely love engine and exhaust noises, but I also commute 60+ miles a day and an EV is becoming a very real possibility for me.

What I look for in one, is absolute comfort and ease of driving - although I don't think I'd ever want to drive in one pedal mode. My favourite EV right now is the Lucid Air. In top spec it looks like it offers supreme serenity. I also really like the Taycan, especially in Cross Turismo guise.
 
EVs are fantastic as ordinary cars and utility vehicles. But I don't think anyone has yet made a compelling case for an EV sports car*. I'm curious to see what Porsche comes up with for the 718 replacement, but there is some fundamental level of engagement missing with EVs due to the lack of shifting and the lack of sound. I don't think a car with a multi-speed transmission (automatic or manual) is more fun/engaging because it's the old way, but because it involves you with the machine and I think also establishes a rhythm of driving. If you get in a car to just go for a drive (like you do with a sports car) you kind of want to be part of the process.

I would like to see someone engineer an EV powertrain that is deliberately tuned to resemble an ICE engine. I'm pretty certain you could make a powerful electric motor mimic a less powerful ICE (like an MX-5 2 liter). You just limit the voltage supplied at the low end and raise that limit linearly with RPM. With an ICE-like powerband, you could pair it with a multi-speed transmission. You could even make it multi-modal - "around town mode" would deliver the from-zero torque you expect from an electric motor and "sporty" mode would make it feel more zingy at the top end. Of course you would be artificially introducing some degree of inefficiency with this approach, but sports cars are fundamentally inefficient to begin with. With this totally contrived powertrain, you could include a straight-cut gearbox (with a precisely calibrated amount of acoustic mitigation so your head doesn't explode) to bring in some sound of the machine. The next problem is weight vs range, but I won't go into that yet again...

*Million-hp hyper space ship ≠ sports car
 
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Car sound is one of the main factors in determining how much I like a car which might sound dumb to some but it's apart of the experience for me, it's like watching a amazing action sequence in a movie but the soundtrack for said sequence is the spongebob theme song; car sound can make or break a car for me.

In the case of electric cars, I am mainly into the appearance of the car and the comfort level of it.

As much as I love the CLK-GTR, it's a very loud car IRL with loud straight cut gears and an even louder motor and intake right behind you which makes driving a car like that on a regular basis off a track an unpleasant experience I would imagine.

Meanwhile something like a Porsche Taycan I could absolutely see as being a daily driver as it seems like a fairly decent car and is pretty silent for the most part.
 

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