By Louise Lyck Dreehsen, AAU Communikation and Public Affairs
Photo: Charlotte Tybjerg Sørensen

The classic engine roars, metallic gear changes and the exhaust rattle are on their way off the streets as the number of electric cars increases. Instead, futuristic sounds of a spaceship, music and deep hums that mimic internal combustion engines fill the urban space.

A new study from Aalborg University, which has been published in Continuum: The Journal of Media & Cultural Studies has studied how the sounds of electric cars affect our experience of them. 

In the study, AAU Professor Nicolai Jørgensgaard Graakjær, who researches sound branding of cars, has analysed the meaning and function of sounds using theories from sound studies and semiotics.

The three types of sound

Graakjær divides the new sounds into three categories:

• Combustification – artificial sounds that mimic the familiar engine hum. 
• Whooshification – sounds that give the car a futuristic, spaceship-like feel.
• Musicalization – tones and harmonies that give the car a musical touch.

Behind every whoosh and buzz are sound engineers, composers and branding people. For example, BMW has hired composer Hans Zimmer to design sounds for their electric cars.

More than noise and safety

It is mandatory for electric cars to emit engine sounds when reversing and driving below 20 km/h, so that pedestrians and cyclists can detect them. But the sounds of cars also have another, more subtle function: they affect how we experience the car and its identity.

"The sounds in cars are designed down to the smallest detail, and in the past, a quiet cabin and low engine noise were considered signs of quality and good sound engineering. In electric cars, the absence of engine noise means something completely different," Graakjær explains. 

"The absence of the familiar audio feedback can make it harder for the car to communicate with the driver. This weakens both the car's sound identity and the ability to express the brand's personality – and in some cases can feel confusing or uncomfortable."

Green transition changes the sound environment

The three sound variants affect how we experience electric cars, and in some cases, according to Graakjær, the sounds can be experienced as artificial or alienating. This makes it relevant to examine them from a sustainability perspective.

"The example of the sounds of electric cars illustrates more generally that the green transition creates new sounds and sound environments that it is important to be able to relate to – not only in relation to issues of safety, information and health, but also in relation to the 'meanings' of sounds – in order to support the green transition and sustainability," says Nicolai Jørgensgaard Graakjær. 

He points out that there is a need for more research into how the new sounds affect us.