All sorts of cars

[Tom King]

pull into our driveway driven by people coming to pick up puppies.  Today the nicest car I've ever seen showed up.  It was an all electric BMW i7.  I don't know exactly which model, but it was really something.  The backup alarm was some sort of music playing.  We hoped the puppy didn't throw up in it on the way home.

[legenddc]

I saw one of those yesterday and it looked pretty nice. The hybrid/electric car backup noises sound like a cheap sci-fi spaceship to me.

[Tom King]

Whatever the backup sound was, it wasn't exactly music, but close to being called such, and did get your attention without being obnoxious.  This was an all electric car.

[JohnG]

The US gov’t requires that electric vehicles emit sound when reversing and operating at low speed since there isn’t any other audible cue that a vehicle is running and moving. 

Then they started regulating what noises are “acceptable” so most vehicle makers just use some generic tone that’s similar to others so that they won’t get hassled. 

[Tom King]

I found the BMW backup sound on youtube:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+electric+car+backup+sound+youtube&rlz=1C1KDEC_enUS921US921&oq=bmw+electric+car+backup+sound+youtube&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigAdIBCjEwMzYzajBqMTWoAgmwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:580d60c0,vid:h-0BXL4j_u0,st:0

[Coop]

That is a nice looking ride. If it were mine, I’d program it to play “Get Back” by the Beatles. 

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

I say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. We already perfected the backup alarm: 

The  BEEP      BEEP     BEEP from trucks and heavy equipment that's tattooed on my brain from hearing it at work all day everyday.

 

Everybody loves that sound! 

[pkinneb]

I hate the backup noise on my F150 Hybrid and I can tell you the folks at the trap range aren't fans either LOL. 

[JohnG]

On 10/30/2024 at 8:21 PM, Coop said:

That is a nice looking ride. If it were mine, I’d program it to play “Get Back” by the Beatles. 

Well, Elon being Elon, Tesla had come out with a feature that would let you pick from a variety of sounds to play (like the clopity clopity coconut horse sound from monty python). But then they were forced to software recall it because the govt said it could be distracting and cause an accident. 

[drzaius]

14 hours ago, Tom King said:

I found the BMW backup sound on youtube:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+electric+car+backup+sound+youtube&rlz=1C1KDEC_enUS921US921&oq=bmw+electric+car+backup+sound+youtube&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigAdIBCjEwMzYzajBqMTWoAgmwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:580d60c0,vid:h-0BXL4j_u0,st:0

I like that sound. It's the beaver teeth they put on the front that would keep me away from one of those 

[Chestnut]

Why don't they just record a car driving on gravel? Gets the point across without being "cute". Honestly most gas cars have gotten so quiet they are not much different than an electric at this point.

13 hours ago, Ron Swanson Jr. said:

The  BEEP      BEEP     BEEP from trucks and heavy equipment that's tattooed on my brain from hearing it at work all day everyday.

Once you hear it enough you tend to stop listening to it unless you program your brain to pay attention to it for various reasons.

I have a feeling that's goign to happen somewhat with cars with these different magical noises. Per above tires on gravel. Most people hear that crunchy sound and know it means a car is moving and they pay attention.

[gee-dub]

On 10/31/2024 at 7:39 AM, Chestnut said:

Honestly most gas cars have gotten so quiet they are not much different than an electric at this point.

My 1982 Honda Civic was so quiet I had to develop the habit of looking at the tach before turning the key to see if it was already running

[pkinneb]

On 10/31/2024 at 10:58 AM, gee-dub said:

My 1982 Honda Civic was so quiet I had to develop the habit of looking at the tach before turning the key to see if it was already running

Made me chuckle...three years in my wife will still say is it running as we back out of the garage? Yes dear its a hybrid  

[legenddc]

On 10/31/2024 at 11:58 AM, gee-dub said:

My 1982 Honda Civic was so quiet I had to develop the habit of looking at the tach before turning the key to see if it was already running

My grandfather went out to his boat one morning and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't start when he just had a brand new engine installed the day prior. Turns out the new 4 stroke outboard engine was a lot quieter than his old 2 stroke and he left it running after docking it. 

[Mark J]

I had a hybrid in '06, before back up noises, or cameras.  I got in the habit of cracking the windows before backing up in parking lots to listen for pedestrians.   Then I would reverse very slowly. 

My wife's Bolt EUV makes a spaceship noise.  I've gotten used to it, but we had the car a month before I realized what it was for.  I wonder if the average pedestrian or child is "tuned in" in to these sounds?

[wtnhighlander]

The factory I work in is very noisy. All mobile equipment is fitted with the common "beep-beep" backup alarm. In addition, forklifts and other vehicles that may limit the driver's forward visibilty are equipped with a forward motuon alarm that sounds like a duck with emphasema. Supposed to be noticable over the "brown noise" of the general background. I think EVs should use that sound, as it is certainly unmistakable.

[pkinneb]

On 11/1/2024 at 10:02 AM, wtnhighlander said:

The factory I work in is very noisy. All mobile equipment is fitted with the common "beep-beep" backup alarm. In addition, forklifts and other vehicles that may limit the driver's forward visibilty are equipped with a forward motuon alarm that sounds like a duck with emphasema. Supposed to be noticable over the "brown noise" of the general background. I think EVs should use that sound, as it is certainly unmistakable.

That's pretty much what my F150 sounds like 

[Tom King]

Here is the model that car was.  The front and everything else about it looked pretty awesome to me.  I will say it looked better in person than in these pictures.  It belonged to the young lady, probably in her 20's that works from home.  She was very obviously very intelligent.

https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/all-electric/i7/sedan/overview.html?cid=GOOGLE_700000002949637_USBMW-24-016_ENG_FY24_FY_T1_EV_NA_I7_AO-GKL+Exact+Match_CV_GOOG_S-BD_0_0_i7+|+Base&tier=tier1&maco=national&ch=paid_search&veh=NA&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm5e5BhCWARIsANwm06hTpD_njcasGHGkR8717UgiZbpzk5z-ns1TfHO71JzkwOVXcuUUtRAaAh4QEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I thought I was doing good having my 24th anniversary of not making a truck payment driving my 24 year old truck.