Now Even AMG is Going Electric!

[Minty]

Future quote: "They used to power cars with FIRE?!"

I love when movies predict this kind of stuff in a somewhat realistic way.

"Please tell me this doesn't run on gas! Gas explodes, you know?"

-Susan Calvin from I, Robot



It's only really a matter of time before that becomes the typical reaction to an ICE. Granted, it'll be a lot of time, but in the next couple centuries or so it'll probably be common for people to be genuinely uncomfortable around something powered by combustibles fuel.

Will Smith was my hero in that movie not because he saved humanity, but because he was one of the last petrolheads left on the planet.

 

[05XR8]

I guess they'll just pipe the sound in if they want. The rest of the Germans have apparently done it in some fashion.

I've been thinking that for the longest. Exhaust sounds, engine sounds, I wondered if those sounds would be easy to download like ring tones. Someone creates a baffle/resonator/muffler to duplicate whatever ICE the owner wishes.

 

[2clickswest]

I don't mind electric cars. When people master the process of making one, and especially making batteries for them - it will be an amazing time for us in my opinion.
I just hope it won't be a childish decision to just ban everything that is not electric, I doubt that this will happen, but still, there is always a chance.

 

[McLaren]

I've been thinking that for the longest. Exhaust sounds, engine sounds, I wondered if those sounds would be easy to download like ring tones. Someone creates a baffle/resonator/muffler to duplicate whatever ICE the owner wishes.

You mean like this?
http://www.vroombox.com/
http://www.carscoops.com/2012/04/make-your-car-sound-like-lamborghini.html

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I drive for a living, but sorry for not being clear, I meant for pedestrians and people who live next to busy roads when referring to the engine noise, which is why I mentioned it would reduce noise pollution.

I'm sure there's people in the industry that doubt it will ever happen, but I feel it's the only logical direction. Countries are already starting to prepare for an all-electric traffic system. The UK is supposedly banning the sale of diesel/petrol vehicles by 2040, as is France, and car companies have announced they're starting to phase out combustion engines (e.g. Volvo).

Yes it is the only logical direction if it weren't for the fact that groups and government's end goals are to get away from Fossil fuels. Electricity by and large for most people still comes from oil, natural gas or coal burning plants. So, while cars would be running on giant batteries, they'd still have some contribution to a fossil fuel being used to generate the energy needed. The argument then shifts for some to hydrogen fuel cells, which for many is a very counter productive and difficult way to power batteries, and still relies on a fossil fuel to create the hydrogen needed.

So while current electric vehicles are a nice place holder, they are just that. There are of course other ways to generate electricity but there are various reason why those wouldn't be used or aren't efficient to use. So logically a new source or more abundant current source to create energy would be the actual logical step. Some people say why not methane, bio-diesel, corn gas, butane, propane and on and on. Each one has pros and cons, and really it becomes up to the industry and government to drive (no pun intended) the public there.

 

[CoolColJ]

Well the i8 already creates fake engine sounds via speakers

 

[05XR8]

You mean like this?
http://www.vroombox.com/
http://www.carscoops.com/2012/04/make-your-car-sound-like-lamborghini.html

See? Dang! Should put ideas to paper. I used to think of putting exhaust sounds through the headrest speakers in the MX-5, back in the days(wasn't a loud sports car).

 

[Streeto]

Well the i8 already creates fake engine sounds via speakers

That's disgusting, who wants fake engine sounds in a real car?

 

[Vegard]

That's disgusting, who wants fake engine sounds in a real car?

Those who own cars with boring sounding engines perhaps?
The F10 M5 twin turbo V8 with its pulse tuned exhaust manifold is a good example.

 

[McLaren]

Apparently, even Porsche has tampered in this area; it has a Sound Symposer that is a tube housing a diaphragm & a valve. When you push the Sport button, the valve opens and the diaphragm amplifies the sounds from the intake plenum.

And VW has a system like the M5 which is an audio file in the car that plays under certain throttle input, and it plays all the noise under the hood through a center speaker near the throttle body.

 

[Streeto]

Those who own cars with boring sounding engines perhaps?
The F10 M5 twin turbo V8 with its pulse tuned exhaust manifold is a good example.

Buy a car with a good sounding engine then? I can't comprehend how you don't see how ridiculous that concept is.

What's next, a fake gearstick that does nothing, in a fully-automatic car, so you can pretend to be a man?

 

[Vegard]

Buy a car with a good sounding engine then? I can't comprehend how you don't see how ridiculous that concept is.

Yeah, the concept of modifying a car solely to make it sound better really is incomprehensible.
I'm sure everyone who throws on a sport exhaust system does it for the extra 3 hp at the top of the rev range.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Buy a car with a good sounding engine then? I can't comprehend how you don't see how ridiculous that concept is.

The engines do sound good, I think you're slightly confused on why they do it which @McLaren already specified on. Now I'd agree with you that the concept is quite dumb, so is filtered in exhaust sounds, which is another alternative rather than having a track system built in to your in car audio system. I think gimmicks aren't needed, but they're not doing them because the engine itself sounds bad, since the F10, E92 and so on sounded just fine to me.

So if done in ICE cars, I could see a demand for it in EV.

What's next, a fake gearstick that does nothing, in a fully-automatic car, so you can pretend to be a man?

How does having a manual shifter make someone feel like a man??? That's odd

 

[Northstar]

How does having a manual shifter make someone feel like a man??? That's odd

There's a joke there, but it's not very AUP friendly.

 

[Silver Arrows]

How does having a manual shifter make someone feel like a man??? That's odd

You know what else doesn't make you a man? Crying, showing emotion. That's for sissies.
Like, that's probably one of the worst posts I've seen on this site. Just absolutely dreadful.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

There's a joke there, but it's not very AUP friendly.

Guessing it has to do with phallic like shapes