Silence of Electric Vehicles: Blessing or Curse?

In the discussion about the impact of electric vehicles (EVs) concerns about their lack of noise are often expressed. Studies on acoustics of these types of vehicles mostly focus on the perception of pedestrians, hearing-impaired or blind people. Especially for the transition period with only limited numbers of electric vehicles on the road, most of the responsibility for the safety of all road users lays upon the drivers of such vehicles. In the present study results will be reported on EV test-drivers and their experiences relating to the lack of noise of EVs. In a naturalistic driving study setup, 40 participants drove an EV for the period of six months within the Berlin metropolitan area and were repeatedly questioned about their experiences. Data from the interviews and the questionnaires indicate that the drivers appreciate the low noise emission, but at the same time are very much aware of the potential dangers related to it. The few incidents which are reported mostly involve pedestrians as well as cyclists and mainly occur at low speeds, e.g. at traffic lights. These incidents usually have no critical consequences as drivers are aware of the vehicle´s soundlessness and adapt their driving accordingly.