They have a whisper mode. But you can customize sound in all modes.

 

Will it have a Hot Rod option???😁

 

for a small price off the Mach-e store? Who knows? Maybe.

 

I agree making fake noise is silly. I had visions of going "Vroom vroom" with my Matchbox toys as a kid

 

External noise for safety makes sense, i rather some made up jetson or turbine sound than the annoying beep/chimes some other EVs have adopted to meet regulations.

I believe the internal noise makes sense when it portrays acceleration and speed to the driver. The utter silence of the cabin can be deceiving.

How about a slow drum-line, where the beat increases as you accelerate? Or the sound the USS Enterprise makes as it increases warp speed? Hey, who says it has to be boring?

 

My experience test driving EVs is that driving still generates plenty of noise. It's road noise now instead of engine noise. Even with the superior insulation and acoustic glass on luxury models.

As for making an exterior noise for people who can't see cars, I suppose we're stuck with that. Zombie smart phone users will still be a hazard.

 

Personally, I prefer the noise a conventional car makes compared to an EV.

I find the engine noise much more enjoyable (kind of like a white noise) compared to road and wind noise. In an ICE, the latter is covered by the former.
Of course, the above is true for normal speeds, at very high speeds the engine noise starts to get annoying.

Overall though, I'm not negative towards a "fake" noise, though obviously it will have a lot to do with implementation.

 

At low speed, there is hardly any wind or road noise: You really prefer hearing the engine noise? Do you do any city driving?

 

No sound in space but effects make it more enjoyable.

 

In space, no one can hear you screech your tires.

 

I always have music playing when I drive, so I'm looking forward to using quiet mode.

 

I'm thinking you would enjoy the B&O even better with all artificial sound turned off?

 

I'm sure the electric motor would be producing some noise, even if feeble. Like what we heard in the Mache 1400 video. Maybe some sparking sounds as well. Would be cool to listen to them from inside.

 

As has been pointed out the external noise (whatever that might actually be called or sound like) is mandated by law so the visually impaired, bicyclists, those just not paying attention, etc., can hear you coming. In the EU it seems to have to be a 56 dba noise anytime the car is going 20 kph (12.4 mph) or slower. That's a normal conversation level inside a house or your household refrigerator noise btw. I believe originally this was listed as a noise similar to, but not louder than, a traditional ICE noise at low speed.

The USA requires the noise to be generated up to 30 Kph (18.6 mph). The US rule left open the possibility for user selection of preloaded sounds. The sound level in decibels is also not a fixed requirement, that is, it varies based upon speed and whether you're in "Park" or not (Or parking brake off in a manual transmission). Yes, our MME's will have to make noise while "idling" at stop signs (unless you're in park). I suggest a "passing gas" mode for that situation.

Another thing to consider regarding fake engine noise, beyond the external compliance noise that's been alluded to here, is just how much we depend upon aural feedback when driving. We often base our acceleration upon engine sounds. Take those away, or reduce them, and we don't do quite as well at controlling the acceleration -- either using too much or too little. There's a bit of a learning curve where we have to unlearn years of habit. This has become a problem with ICE cars as well. As engine size was reduced and power increased to meet CAFE requirements, drivers weren't responding as favorably to the changes even when they resulted in virtually identical acceleration performance. More than one vehicle manufacturer has added in artificial engine noise to supplement the actual engine noise -- including Ford with its Raptor.

 

49 CFR § 571.141 - Standard No. 141; Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.

www.law.cornell.edu

 

This reminds me of the 2011 movie The Dilemma, where they put the sound and vibrations of a big V-8 into an electric car.

 

A hoof galloping sound choice would be cool

 

Give me different locomotive sounds, 20 cylinder EMD come to mind. Might surprise a few people.

 

I think that "fake engine sounds" will be seen, in twenty years, as absolutely hilarious. They will be laughed at by drivers who don't understand why anyone would want to hear extra noise.

It will be like the graphic on the Bolt dash that shows "juice" going from the battery to the wheels and vice versa. Marginally cool now, but really ridiculous to people who consider ICE as basically pre-historic.

I could be wrong...

 

It will be like the graphic on the Bolt dash that shows "juice" going from the battery to the wheels and vice versa. Marginally cool now, but really ridiculous to people who consider ICE as basically pre-historic.

I could be wrong...

It is inevitable.

 

Quiet Mode should include a noise-canceling option.

 

The Premium MMe has active noise cancelling to reduce NVH. Plus, acoustic-laminate front-row side windows also helps.

 

Its not new to Ford. My 2018 Fusion Hybrid Titanium has both ANC and acoustic-laminate front side windows. Most of Fords EVs and Hybrids have it.

I saw it listed on one of the many MMe documents passing through this forum. I would have to re-read them all. If i come across it again, i will let you know.

 

OK yeah if you find it let me know. I realize it isn't new to Fords as I first experienced it in the C-Max several years ago. I found the ANC a bit off-putting. It cancelled noise but maybe not all of it, or it maybe introduced too much noise. I'm not sure.

And of course there are good and bad implementations out there. The ICE Mustangs have been using ANC for several years now, and there are plenty of discussions and videos online about how to disable it.

Anyway, it's something I've been curious about so I've been looking to see whether or not MME is also using ANC.

 

Update: Emma Bergg has confirmed that the MMe does not have ANC. She stated “..current view is it’s not required...”.

So the question is: Is NVH control in the MMe that good as to not need ANC?

 

Having a lack of road noise in the car is a selling point for me. After finally getting rid of engine noise, the only thing impeding my stereo listening experience is road noise. I typically get after-market stereos in my vehicles, but sometimes the stock audio is good enough. Road noise report from my recent test drives, all measured with decibel meter on the same phone:
Units are db
82 Chevy Bolt
72 Audi E-Tron Technik
72 Hyundai Kona Electric
75 Tesla Model Y

My current car, a hybrid, gives a reading of 79 db

 

Having a lack of road noise in the car is a selling point for me. After finally getting rid of engine noise, the only thing impeding my stereo listening experience is road noise. I typically get after-market stereos in my vehicles, but sometimes the stock audio is good enough. Road noise report from my recent test drives, all measured with decibel meter on the same phone:
Units are db
82 Chevy Bolt
72 Audi E-Tron Technik
72 Hyundai Kona Electric
75 Tesla Model Y

My current car, a hybrid, gives a reading of 79 db

Will you be running Summer tires? Once the engine noise is gone, the biggest source of noise will be the tires. I haven't seen too much detail on the stock factory tires but I assume the AWD versions are going to come with some type of all season tires Ford's crack team of accountants selected. I would think that relegating the stock tires to Winter duty and getting Summer tires would have the biggest impact on the road noise.

 

At work we have full anechoic acoustic chamber. Once all the noise is gone, it gets really, really creepy as one can hear their detailed breathing and digesting noises. Similarly, on BEVs, as the noise floor drops, other noises (road, wind, creaks, rattles...) become more prominent. NVH engineering is some ways is more difficult for a car that is inherently quiet.

 

That chamber sounds cool. I would love to experience it.