Driving future sounds: imagination, identity and safety in electric vehicle noise design

Abstract

Global soundscapes in the 20th century have largely been defined by the sounds of combustion-engine automobiles. Yet, as nearly-silent hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) rise in popularity, newly created noises for such vehicles are necessary to ensure pedestrian safety. This article examines oft-competing aesthetic and practical concepts in electric vehicle sound design in dialog with Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital. First contextualizing the car and its noises as cultural capital within the 20th century, the articles demonstrates how concerns about noise pollution, safety, branding, and aesthetic opinions of what a futuristic car 'should' sound like--different ways vehicle noise functions within a soundscape--govern the sound design process. The Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius, the Audi e-tron are presented as examples. The article also interrogates the perceived need for vehicle safety noise at all. Through focusing on the sonic imagination as embodied in the design process for electric vehicles, the article advocates for further discourse about how future vehicle noise design will shape soundscapes.

Keywords:

• Electric vehicle
• soundscapes
• cultural capital
• noise
• pollution
• safety

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Elizabeth A. Clendinning is Assistant Professor of Music at Wake Forest University and director of Gamelan Giri Murti. Her research interests include sound studies, cultural sustainability, music of film and television, musics of Southeast Asia and North America, education, and cultural diversity. Her writings may be found in Ethnomusicology, MUSICultures, Journal of Fandom Studies, and Ars Orientalis.

Notes

1. A few companies, such as Lotus and Tesla, have allowed users to select their own sounds from a pre-engineered set; Ford proposed and then decided not to implement a similar feature, based on cost concerns (Bijsterveld et al. 2014).