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No rattling of the cage

The ongoing transition from cars with internal combustion (IC) engines to quiet electric motors draws particular attention to the perception of sound whilst driving.

Carsten Mohr, Head of the Acoustics department at Schaeffler Buhl, discusses the importance and complexity of addressing noise in electric vehicles (EVs):

“When I drive a car with a V8 engine, I normally want to hear something of its sound, intake and exhaust noise. That’s totally different in an electric car, where low noise gliding along the road is frequently regarded as a key selling point. For that reason, it’s important for all components in terms of noise, to be effectively coordinated with each other.”

Compared to the low, pleasant sound of IC engines, electric cars produce high frequency, whistling and whirring sounds that can be irritating for those travelling in the vehicle. The Acoustics team take appropriate action at an early development stage; Mohr explains “it’s important to be able to estimate as early as possible, what impact electrical components are going to have on the subsequent sound pattern in the vehicles interior – troubleshooting in later development stages becomes complex.”

Click here to discover all the secrets, challenges and compromises made to shape the sound motion of future driving: https://schaeffler-tomorrow.com/en/article/no-rattling-of-the-cage?utm_source=website-Eureka&utm_medium=refer-ral&utm_campaign=tomorrow&utm_content=text-link&utm_term=012024-gb