Silence is usually sought after. But when it comes to electric cars, the lack of soundtrack is a petrolhead’s biggest gripe.

The void of engine noise, the fact that you’ll never hear a V8 roar, is for some the worst part owning an electric car.

For manufacturers, this is both a challenge and opportunity as electric cars become more popular, with many believing that artificial engine noise will convince people to make the leap and bring emotional driving to those who are already driving under battery power.

BMW has become the latest car maker to invest in sound design in order to bring an immersive journey experience to EVs, with the launch of its new 'HypersonX' sound technology.

Created by BMW Design Sound Studio, it will come to life in the brand's upcoming electric Vision Neue Klasse models. 

With this latest addition to the synthetic engine sound game, we look at how manufacturers are employing different tactics to make their EVs feel like combustion engine cars. But will it help accelerate sales?

BMW HypersonX sound

BMW’s new Neue Klasse EVs will come with HypersonX sound technology that will make its next generation of EVs sound like petrol and diesel engines.

Unveiled this month, the bespoke soundscapes aim to give the Neue Klasse models, scheduled to launch this year, ‘highly distinctive character acoustically’.

The HypersonX system comprises 43 sound signals, with specially tailored drive sounds for Personal and Sport Mode.

BMW says it adapts the sounds precisely to the driving situation at hand, in order to ‘create an emotional interaction between the driver and their vehicle.’

Personal and Sport Mode apparently ‘focus on the essentials’ and are inspired by sounds from nature and structures from the worlds of art and science.

BMW’s integrated the acoustic system with the integration of BMW Operating System X to let the soundscape adapt in real time to the different driving scenarios presented.

Renzo Vitale, Creative Director of Sound Design BMW Group commented: ‘The unique sound spectrum of HypersonX plays a major role in giving a Neue Klasse model its own, highly distinctive character acoustically. 

'Through our focus on precision, warmth and lightness, we can create a direct emotional connection between the driver and their vehicle.’

Porsche Electric Sport Sound

Porsche was a pioneer of electric car ‘engine’ noise, bringing the Porsche Electric Sport Sound in with its Taycan EV in 2019.

Porsche said the engine tone is ‘skillfully composed and tailored to the vehicle’s personality and vehicle status’.

The Electric Sport Sound minimises disturbing noises from the drive architecture, instead harmonising emotive sounds that match what the car is doing, and amplifying them.

Porsche promises that the emotive noises are composed in such a way that, while it’s clearly an electrical statement, it’s ‘still unquestionably the sound of a genuine Porsche’.

The driver can activate and deactivate the Electric Sport Sound by selecting the Sport Plus driving mode directly in the Drive menu of Porsche Communication Management (PCM) or via the configurable joker keys.

It’s not just emotive though, the Porsche Electric Sport Sound also has a standard system to meet the legal requirements for pedestrian protection.

Hyundai N Active Sound

This is the fake engine noise that has many of the biggest haters accepting of fake engine noises for EVs.

The Ioniq 5 N arrived with innovative N Active Sound+ in 2023.

Generated by 10 internal and external speakers to mimic a combustion engine, N Active Sound+ offers ‘a sonic reference point’ with three available sound styles for the car.

In addition to generating a futuristic electric car sound, it goes the extra mile by integrating the familiar engine and exhaust noises typically associated with petrol-fuelled cars.

The technology produces varied noises depending on the users’ preferences and the three sound styles are called ‘Ignition’, ‘Evolution’, and ‘Supersonic’: ‘Ignition, pays homage to Hyundai N’s sound heritage, with a realistic rendition of the high-performance N engine sound, incorporating backfire, bubbling, and gear bang even, while Evolution mimics a high-performance electric soundscape with fast cornering lateral effect, and ‘Supersonic’, delivers a jet, sonic-boom inspired gear shift noise.

Each sound is adjustable and highly customisable - as well as volume controls the driver can turn engine noise off entirely for silent cruising.

Dr Dong Chul Park Hyundai’s Sound Research Lab in South Korea: 'At the Sound Research Lab, we immerse ourselves in the world of automotive sound design, utilising cutting-edge technologies like driving simulators and virtual reality to develop the latest innovations. 

'We are deeply motivated to deliver a satisfying auditory experience for drivers worldwide.'

Electric car fake gear shifts - one better than engine noises?

Hyundai’s done one better than just synthetic combustion engine sounds though.

The Ioniq 5 N simulates gear shifts: the steering wheel paddles shift the power delivery in to mimic gear changes – the building and release is sensationalised even though there’s just one gear.

Designed for buyers who need to feel at home in an EV, N E-Shift and N Active Sound work together to trick your brain into thinking you’re revving and need to upshift or downshift.

The sound design business: Why manufacturers are trying to stimulate your senses 

The use of acoustic elements is becoming big business in the EV world: a 2024 industry report from Fact.MR projected that the global electric vehicle sound generator market reached over £87million ($115.5million) in 2024 and will expand at a CAGR of 18.6 per cent by 2034. 

Automakers have been investing in sound design to create electric car sound for two reasons: to adhere to safety regulations and to bring to life the driving experience audibly.

Many drivers find that the absence of sound-induced emotions contributes to a reduced sense of feedback and engagement when driving an EV compared to a combustion car.

Driving is an emotive activity, with performance and power conveyed through the sensory experience of engine mechanics - and the need to translate this to EV will shape the future of mobility.

The importance of sound design becomes increasingly evident – not only influencing how drivers interact with their cars but also shaping the future of mobility. 

Electric car noise is an important safety aspect 

A 2024 poll found that 47 per cent of pedestrians are concerned about how quiet electric vehicles are.

Venson Automotive Solutions' research also revealed that 27 per cent of pedestrians said they had recently been taken by surprise by the silent approach of an EV car.

When polled, 26 per cent of road users indicated they would prefer EV cars to mimic the noises produced by traditional combustion engine cars. 

An academic study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), which found that EV cars pose a greater risk to pedestrians than ICE cars.  

The published work stated that electric cars are thought to pose a higher risk to pedestrians as they do not hear them approaching in time to react and avoid a collision, leaving pedestrians twice as likely to be hit by an electric or hybrid car than a petrol or diesel one.

EU regulations have required vehicles to use Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) since 2019. But without more robust regulations and a uniform approach to the artificial noises EVs make, Venson warns that vulnerable road users stand to be affected.

Thirty-seven per cent of respondents felt that car buyers should be able to pick the noise their vehicle makes in transit from a list of regulated options, with only 13 per feeling manufacturers should use standard, regulated and ‘branded’ noises instead