(Although we haven’t checked under his hood, we think elvin is a boy)
At one time or another, you have probably been crossing the street or walking through a parking lot and out of nowhere comes a car. What’s different is that it didn’t come roaring at you but rather it snuck up on you, sidled right on up next to you without you noticing. Then you realize it’s a hybrid or maybe even a fully electric Mini E or a Tesla (not likely but possible). This is where elvin comes in…
Engineers at the University of Warwick created elvin to experiment with sounds for electric vehicles. On the one hand, since hybrid/electric cars are quiet at low speeds, as they become more popular there could be a significant reduction in environmental traffic noise levels. On the other hand, sound from vehicles can alert pedestrians or cyclists of oncoming traffic. Also, the sound a particular car makes or doesn’t make also adds to the branding and buyer’s perception of a vehicle.
elvin would like your opinion on how he sounds and has an online interactive evaluation. Check him out.
