Nope.

All electric vehicles sold in the US since September 2020 must have a Pedestrian Warning System that emits noise at speeds less than 18mph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle_warning_sound...

Once you're above 10mph or 15mph the road noise from the tires makes more noise than the quiet gas engines we have these days anyways.

This electric F-150 will not be "almost silent" in any way that matters to a pedestrian. It will certainly be less obnoxious to everyone than those grating diesel engine trucks, and I hope no one complains about the loss of that noise pollution.

Yeah, EVs emit a really annoying sound. You don't really notice as a driver rolling around with the windows up, but when you pull one into a garage with the windows down, you hear that "WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOWOWOWOWOOWEEEEEEERRRRR" echoing all over.

> Nope.

I don't know if 2020+ EVs are louder, but at least our Fiat 500e does make this tiny whirring sound at parking lot speeds, supposedly so pedestrians can hear it. But it is so quiet that it doesn't accomplish much. Even the quietest ICE car is substantially more audible in parking lots.

> Once you're above 10mph or 15mph the road noise from the tires makes more noise than the quiet gas engines we have these days anyways.

Are you mental? I live on a residential street, not even too busy, and every single day, I hear these idiot gunning their motors to be cool. With electric its a non issue.

Not when moving at any significant speed - most of the sound of a vehicle going faster than 10mph ish is tires.

Tires are an issue but diesels engine trucks and semis are audible. Also some times regular gas customers have modified exhausts. Tire noise is higher frequency though.

Have you ever lived next to a road in a city? I can tell you that the most noise comes from revving engines.

There is a also a massive difference between noise a normally driven ICE vehicle makes compared to an electric one at city speeds. The electric ones are very silent and barely audible if they don't make that humming sound. Even at 20-30mph.

The interesting thing is, as more cars become electric, the noise floor lowers and you will likely be able to pick out oncoming cars just as easily.

I can't hear a single engine, but I can hear the hum of tires a long way away. Sure, I can sometimes hear a loud exhaust but those come and go in seconds. Tire noise is a 24x7 sound until winter (snow attenuates sound really well).

Source: typing this in a city with lots of roads and traffic.

Don't know about in the USA, but in the EU electric cars are required to emit some noise when going slowly. Most make an eerie electric hum, but Fiat has chosen to make their new Fiat 500 play a jaunty Italian tune: https://www.motortrend.com/news/new-fiat-500-pedestrian-aler...

"… they will be like the ringtone of your phone, downloadable interchangeable, customizable …" … O_O … Oh, dear God, please no.

I work with a window facing the street, and I can hear electric cars coming well before they pass. Electric cars are near-silent only when they're moving very slowly. The noise from tyres-on-tarmac is still fairly loud when they are moving at typical city-driving speed.

I think they're supposed to generate some kind of sound at low speeds. Or at least the government wants them to.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/14/2016-28...

Even with the noisemaker my Chevy Bolt has still been quiet enough to surprise unaware pedestrians in parking lots.

What is this noisemaker? Is it sort of an electronic whine? I thought that was just the motors. Otherwise I've never heard any kind of artificial noise from a slow-moving EV.

Most car noise comes from the wheels, at speed, on highways.

Are most pedestrian and cyclist deaths on the highways?

I would have though it would be in the city, if only for the fact that I practically never see pedestrians on country roads where I live. There can be cyclists, though.

In the city, though, most car noise is clearly the engine. Source: traffic outside my window. I clearly hear the engine noise or the exhaust if it's a scooter or motorcycle.

Honestly I regret replying to this obtuse argument