Ferrari will inevitably enter the EV market – and it wants to add sound to its electric cars
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by Stephen Rivers
January 22, 2023 at 18:29
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by Stephen Rivers
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Future Ferrari supercars could have an EV exhaust note according to newly uncovered patents. The automaker knows how important sound is not just to the enjoyment of driving its cars but also to how a driver actively operates the car. To solve the problem it wants to amplify real sounds from the electric motors.
The patent in question, first spotted by Carbuzz, is for a “road vehicle equipped with a reproduction device for the realization of a sound that can be associated with an electric motor.” To accomplish the goal, it looks like it’s planning to amplify the sound from one or more electric onboard motors before spitting that noise out of the back of the vehicle.
Patent drawings specifically show a ‘sound reproduction device” that seems to be a single speaker near the rear axle. The sound it reproduces could come from a component of the electric motor or something else altogether. Regardless, the goal seems to be to associate what’s physically happening in the drivetrain to the sound itself.
Other images in the filing show the results of testing that’s already occurred. For now, the technology is experimental but image three in the documents seems to indicate that Ferrari is already getting different sounds based on motor speed. On top of that, it should be well within the automaker’s ability to tune the sound.
Why go to all of this trouble? Ferrari spells that out in the documentation too. In a high-performance sports car, the sound produced by the engine is important, for a significant part of the “driving pleasure” and they go on to say “the sound generated by the engine allows drivers to have an immediate feedback on the conditions of the vehicle and on what has to be done in order to reach given performances.”
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Those who have driven an electric car hard will probably understand how the lack of an engine note can prove challenging. The audible rasp of an internal combustion engine can tell a driver a lot about the state of the vehicle. This invention could sort that issue out for Ferrari owners.
If all of this sounds somewhat familiar that might be due to the fact that Dodge has hinted at a similar technology. When it unveiled its Charger Daytona SRT EV Concept it highlighted a Fratzonic exhaust system that did largely the same thing. As a sensor in the car detects an increase in speed it produces a corresponding sound through an amplifier.
It’s worth noting that adding noise to EVs is something that multiple brands are working on. We can’t wait to hear what each one comes up with.
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