Listen and Cloud Army Announce "What Sound Should a Car Make?" Report

Sep. 30, 2024

By 2050, it’s estimated that the majority of cars will be electric — and every one of those mostly silent electric cars will need to make a sound. But how do we ensure that each new electric car is not adding more noise to the world? How might we design vehicle alert sounds that get attention without being distressing?

Listen, a sonic branding agency that works with automakers to craft their electric vehicle sounds, set out to better understand what people really need and want electric cars to sound like. Collaborating with the market research agency CloudArmy, Listen designed and tested a wide range of vehicle alert sounds — from hummable tones to lush sonic textures — to learn what is most effective and preferred by consumers. The result is “What Sound Should a Car Make?” – providing a summary of Listen and CloudArmy’s research with key insights for sound designers and engineers working in the automotive industry.

To test their hypothesis, Listen created ten new AVAS sounds — five tonal and five non-tonal. Over four hundred U.S. adults participated in testing online, with half of the participants current electric vehicle owners or people who would consider buying an EV. The sounds were presented to participants first without any visuals and in a randomized order alongside a range of recognizable internal combustion engine sounds and mechanical appliance sounds.

Through the testing process, they found that non-tonal sounds are perceived as significantly more recognizable, pleasant, and likable. This is notable from the standpoint of consumer preference, but also suggests it’s a more functionally effective way of alerting pedestrians to the presence of a nearby vehicle. Non-tonal sounds that are closely associated with white noise or nature-derived sounds fit into the environmental soundscape, while still being effective and audible at close proximity visually impaired pedestrians

“What Sound Should a Car Make?” also includes an overview of the current industry landscape, analyzing how automakers are designing sounds for acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS). The report concludes by advocating for a set of common-sense design standards that go beyond current regulations to establish a more pleasing and functional solution for sound.