If you’ve ever wondered how the electric cars of the future will be able to emit more than a hum from their electric motors, Audi has the answer.
Rudolf Halbmeir’s workstation holds the key. The acoustic engineer has a keyboard, computer and loud speakers – working in conjunction with a foot pedal – to create a synthetic sound from the car that varies depending on speed and acceleration.
Ultimately, a speaker mounted to the R8’s undercarriage produces between five and eight watts of sound to the outside world, most importantly – pedestrians. Parameters such as the motor’s rotational speed, vehicle speed and loads are continuously monitored, resulting in sound being generated by the millisecond
Each car in Audi’s e-tron range will be given its own exclusive tone, although an A1 that sounds like an R8 might be fun.
[Source: Audi]