SOUND DESIGN

As anyone who’s watched (and heard) Formula E will know, electric vehicles (BEVs) are much quieter than those with internal combustion engines. Indeed, this relatively quiet factor has allowed Formula E races to be hosted in urban environments where Formula 1 would struggle, and makes Formula E more compatible with built-up and densely populated surroundings.

Such quietness will also be a feature of the new electric road vehicles from Jaguar, and so it is particularly good news for towns and cities – for drivers and residents alike. But that level of "hush" has potential challenges too.

“Cities are going to become an awful lot quieter with electric vehicles. But this gives us an interesting challenge, in that there is a potential that pedestrians won’t hear electric vehicles coming. So as a co-user of the city space, we have to make sure our vehicles are safe and responsible.”
Iain Suffield, NVH technical specialist, Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar vehicles have always had a reputation for sounding great, and the new electric vehicle from Jaguar will be no different, but in order to be safely heard at low speeds it has to emit a new type of sound to alert other road users to its oncoming presence and direction. Equally, at other times, the sound needs to engage the driver and give feedback about the car’s dynamic progress. As to what these various sounds will be, customers will have to wait until they can test-drive the production model, on sale from 2018.