I hate this one this least, but to be realistic, what do you hear first as a car is approaching? It's the tires crackling along the pavement. The engine noise electric cars lack ... most unmodified cars still are not audible from a distance, except for the tires...
Blind people should only be crossing at dedicated crossings where there are sound indicators to alert the blind it is safe to cross. There is nothing that man cannot overcome and the blind are in many ways far more aware of their surroundings than those gifted with sight but do not see!!!!
Sound in the speech range where ears are most sensitive should work best. I don't need to hear automobiles inside my home, so please minimize the low frequency sound. EVs don't need to be as loud as existing cars, they only need to have a characteristic sound that projects in the direction of travel. Noise pollution from automobiles is much more pervasive than people realize. Tire noise alone is significant. Let's not ignore this opportunity to make our environment more peaceful.
Having mandatory noises for quieter cars is achingly comparable to the red-flag wavers who had to walk in front of the original horse-less carriages. Completely unnecessary and the apparent "need" for them soon becomes redundant as attitudes change.
Let the driver choose, just don't let them choose silence. I was out walking my dogs a year or so back, and forced onto the roadway at a blind corner. Neither the dogs nor I heard the oncoming EV travelling at about 20mph till we saw it, barely a matter of feet away, and we were very lucky none of us were hit.
Kudos to Ford for addressing this issue ... though I guess there's always the option of a playing card held to the spokes of the wheel with a clothes-peg!
Why do they all have to be so high pitched? I'd like it if they took it down a notch. A deep base would be terrible to but something more in the middle range would be better.
people have to keep in mind the sound is not just for people on bikes or walking, but the sound has to make it so blind people can determine how far away and the direction that a car is moving
They are all horrible. As we move forward into the 21st century it is time for people to realise that noise polution is every bit as bad as any other. People need to change their pedestrian habits knowing that there will be no sound emitted from these cars and they will soon LEARN to look where they are going.
@nodrog888 If things where that easy, people would've just had car companies immediately get used to the fact that EVs will one day replace combustion engines, but as it turns out it just takes time for significant changes in the way we operate to become commonplace.
But I do agree with you, people are supposed to look both ways when crossing the road, that's something they should've learned as a kids.
@nodrog888 Yes, all the blind people I see walking on the streets frequently in Denver (no, really, we have a large blind popluation) will learn to look where they are going. Lazy bastards.
When I was little I had neighbors whose mother had died because she was blind and because in those days trucks didn't have to beep backing up. I'm strongly against noise pollution, too, but cars that make sounds do so to benefit the blind and children, not to coddle jaywalkers.
@nodrog888 ha....blind people have A LOT OF LEARNING to do if they are going LOOK where they are going. The entire point of the law requiring these sounds is to keep noiseless vehicle from running over people.
@nodrog888 That sounds great on paper, but it's just not practical. There are many times, such as in a parking lot that you will look around and not see anyone coming, but someone rounds a corner very quickly and they are bearing down on you. Both the driver and pedestrian in this case did not see each other. Even a very attentive driver or passenger may still miss something. These type of sounds mentally reinforce what is occurring visually, and are a great idea.
They are all crap. If I got a Focus (small chance, I like the Prius), I would disable the speaker as soon as I got it home! I agree with those who say that both drivers and pedestrians should exercise greater caution. If US exams were as stiff as German exams, only a handful would have licenses. We need to stop idiot-proofing and let natural selection get back in motion! (This would also solve the population bomb!)
How about the drivers just take care in residential areas and look for any potential hazards as they drive down the road? If they see someone start walking into the road.. HONK and/or swerve out of the way and apply the brakes. How about the pedestrians take extra precautions and look both ways before they cross the road?
I hate all 4 of the Focus Electric sounds. Wish more people actually were aware of the significant toll urban noise, the majority of it from autos, takes on human health. At least in the UK, they're actually thinking before requiring artificial noise for EVs. In the U.S., the whole EV noise requirement has been driven by emotion, ignorance, and sheer apathy toward the urban noise cacophony.
@kenltron: I'm a bicyclist too, but urban noise is out of control. Buy a mirror. I've got one. It's invaluable. Too many bikers complaining that EVs need to be noisy, but who refuse to bike with a mirror.
@cbdh19: Agreed, they're ruining one of the best parts of an EV (imo)... A nice quiet ride. I own a bike and would never ask EV owners to put these awful sounds on their cars. Boo new laws!
Ford: Please do testing with bicyclists in mind. The way I know a car is coming is by sound, so the EV should "sound like a car approaching" to a bicyclist up ahead, considering the noise of the bike itself will mask part of the car's sound. Perhaps, as with the Leaf, the car itself will generate enough noise at a certain speed (like tire noise) without the need for the artificial noise, and that's fine. As long as I can hear it approaching one way or another! Thanks!
I made one by myself too! I would like it if cars make marimba and xylophone sounds. It's a very organic sound and imagine what you would hear if you would stand on a busy intersection! Please see my YouTube page for the video!
Blind people initiated this effort, but what became very clear to us early on was that this affects sighted people as well. It makes no sense to have a stealth vehicle traveling our streets. We want cars that are as quiet as they can safely be--no noisier and no quieter.
I believe I can live with any of these sounds and put emphasis on the word live. As a blind person, sound is critical for my safe and independent travel. It is unfair to suggest that the powers in Washington initiated or are the primary people concerned with safe pedestrian travel where cars that make no usable sound are concerned.
this is the best though they are all terrible, and that is bad, because i am considering buying one of these. and please, DONT make it sound like a combustion engine
These are all really strange. Why can't it sound like any other ford focus? Or create a soundboard and allow the owner to choose which sounds he/she wants to use, and put all the sounds of different fords, from the mustang to the GT to the focus, let the owner choose.
I get that you guys have to create a sound that covers a wide audible spectrum so that the sound is sure to do its job, but can it be a bit less jarring? Take a cue from an idling jet engine. There's a high-pitched sort of hum/whistling combined with the guttural growl of heavy machinery and raw power. Should serve to keep people safe because, let's face it - who wouldn't get the hell out of the way if they heard a jet engine behind them?
well, if these electric cars are to sound like the current diesel engines i would certainly be highly disappointed. They should come up with a sound that is not too high, nor too low.
The sound should be pleasant for the ear, because imagine a thousand cars around you sounding all wrong... that's gonna be annoying.
@LeafPoems - today's diesel engines (in passenger automobiles) do not sound like the diesel engines of even 5 years ago. I've owned three - the first two sounded like a semi - clattering, loud engines. My current diesel does not sound at all like a diesel engine, except when the engine is stone cold and ambient temperatures are below 40 degree Fahrenheit. Once the engine warms up, it's no louder than a comparable gasoline engine and makes very similar sounds. With MUCH better fuel economy!
Now - the bigger vehicles - Ford's F-Series SuperDuty diesels are not in the same class - they still have the loud engines, because of the size of the engine, the vehicle they have to propel and the loads they have to carry/pull - but they are ever-evolving. I'd like to see the Ford EVs sound a bit more traditional - and I really like the suggestion of a sound card that the owner can choose the sound his/her car makes, from a pre-arranged list. But they do need "some" noise.
@pilot4prophet: I think the problem was that hearing impaired pedestrians are used to cars making certain noises. Tire noise isn't enough on a day with ambidnt noise around them. The "cool factor" of my quiet car isn't worth the risk to them, especially if they step out from behind a bush too fast for me to honk the horn.
D sounds the best to me, but why artificial sound? That's a waste of energy. How about it's natural sond without any extras. The tire noise is enough for me. Oh, wait, there may be lawyers lurking around that corner.
'B' isn't bad, but just let the ENGINEERS pick one that has the best acoustic properties that can be HEARD and FELT (low frequency content). The fake turbine sounds are ridiculous for the purpose intended. I think Dyson (vacuums) will sue for copping their turbo vortex suction sound.
Is this an April fools? Car manufacturers strive to make cars quieter, so they make a silent one then choose to make it noisier, if someone steps out in front use the bloody horn.
@kaieshabish22 A lot of accidents could be avoided by making a noise though; using the horn is not always going to give enough time for a pedestrian to react, the point in making a noise at all times is that a pedestrian will know not to step into the road in the first place.
Obviously people should look both ways anyway, so ideally it wouldn't be an issue, but people are used to cars making noises and they may not look if they can't hear anything. This mistake shouldn't be punishable by death!
1 This one "D" is the least intrusive, but enough to get your attention that something is coming up behind you. It's more like the sound of a forklift in a warehouse.
2 Sound "B" has a mix of motor and electric sounds, which is more representative of what a car is, but the sound is a bit too common.
3 Sound "C" .. I would expect to see some alien spaceship coming up behind me.
4 Sound "A" is even more alien spaceship sound.
Easier to just select the sound you want, like your phone's ringtone
whats with all the fake turbine sounds? makes me glad to hear the straight exhaust note of my ancient audi's turbocharged inline 5...music, sweet music...
I hate this one this least, but to be realistic, what do you hear first as a car is approaching? It's the tires crackling along the pavement. The engine noise electric cars lack ... most unmodified cars still are not audible from a distance, except for the tires...
Zryuken 2 months ago
Blind people should only be crossing at dedicated crossings where there are sound indicators to alert the blind it is safe to cross. There is nothing that man cannot overcome and the blind are in many ways far more aware of their surroundings than those gifted with sight but do not see!!!!
nodrog888 5 months ago
I would want my Electric Focus to sound like the Nebuchadnezzar from the Matrix. Just saying.
SgtToadette 5 months ago
Sound in the speech range where ears are most sensitive should work best. I don't need to hear automobiles inside my home, so please minimize the low frequency sound. EVs don't need to be as loud as existing cars, they only need to have a characteristic sound that projects in the direction of travel. Noise pollution from automobiles is much more pervasive than people realize. Tire noise alone is significant. Let's not ignore this opportunity to make our environment more peaceful.
bobinevu 6 months ago
Looking is all well and good as long as one has adequate vision. Its blind people that need to hear the vehicle.
spindrbrad 6 months ago
Use the Gattaca car sounds!
TogetherinParis 6 months ago
@nodrog88 they are just complying with the law, now shutup and pick one.
DoomSwitch 6 months ago
Having mandatory noises for quieter cars is achingly comparable to the red-flag wavers who had to walk in front of the original horse-less carriages. Completely unnecessary and the apparent "need" for them soon becomes redundant as attitudes change.
grungerman 6 months ago
Jetsons car sound is way better.
legspin23 6 months ago
The electric motor gives off a turbine whine but is very quiet maybe it should be drivers choice or just have a loud cooling fan for the batteries
BigFordCountry84 6 months ago
Let the driver choose, just don't let them choose silence. I was out walking my dogs a year or so back, and forced onto the roadway at a blind corner. Neither the dogs nor I heard the oncoming EV travelling at about 20mph till we saw it, barely a matter of feet away, and we were very lucky none of us were hit.
Kudos to Ford for addressing this issue ... though I guess there's always the option of a playing card held to the spokes of the wheel with a clothes-peg!
WalWebster 6 months ago
The best so far.
dennisdahl3 6 months ago
Why do they all have to be so high pitched? I'd like it if they took it down a notch. A deep base would be terrible to but something more in the middle range would be better.
coldcitydweller 7 months ago
they need to make them sound like a real car, all american muscle! vroom vroom
stangguy68 7 months ago
cbad
stinkybuddydog 7 months ago
Just load all four sounds into every vehicle and allow the driver to make his or her own choice!
OshawaFilms 7 months ago 14
Anybody see Gattica? It's all coming true.
ulstermandc 7 months ago
people have to keep in mind the sound is not just for people on bikes or walking, but the sound has to make it so blind people can determine how far away and the direction that a car is moving
cloelke 7 months ago 3
They are all horrible. As we move forward into the 21st century it is time for people to realise that noise polution is every bit as bad as any other. People need to change their pedestrian habits knowing that there will be no sound emitted from these cars and they will soon LEARN to look where they are going.
nodrog888 7 months ago 18
@nodrog888 If things where that easy, people would've just had car companies immediately get used to the fact that EVs will one day replace combustion engines, but as it turns out it just takes time for significant changes in the way we operate to become commonplace.
But I do agree with you, people are supposed to look both ways when crossing the road, that's something they should've learned as a kids.
TheDeadlySanchez 6 months ago
@nodrog888 Yes, all the blind people I see walking on the streets frequently in Denver (no, really, we have a large blind popluation) will learn to look where they are going. Lazy bastards.
When I was little I had neighbors whose mother had died because she was blind and because in those days trucks didn't have to beep backing up. I'm strongly against noise pollution, too, but cars that make sounds do so to benefit the blind and children, not to coddle jaywalkers.
lorakeethappenstance 6 months ago
@nodrog888 ha....blind people have A LOT OF LEARNING to do if they are going LOOK where they are going. The entire point of the law requiring these sounds is to keep noiseless vehicle from running over people.
wastedleisure 5 months ago
@nodrog888 That sounds great on paper, but it's just not practical. There are many times, such as in a parking lot that you will look around and not see anyone coming, but someone rounds a corner very quickly and they are bearing down on you. Both the driver and pedestrian in this case did not see each other. Even a very attentive driver or passenger may still miss something. These type of sounds mentally reinforce what is occurring visually, and are a great idea.
TheJoePepper 3 months ago
They are all crap. If I got a Focus (small chance, I like the Prius), I would disable the speaker as soon as I got it home! I agree with those who say that both drivers and pedestrians should exercise greater caution. If US exams were as stiff as German exams, only a handful would have licenses. We need to stop idiot-proofing and let natural selection get back in motion! (This would also solve the population bomb!)
celt1745 7 months ago
I prefer A the most, then D. Both remind me of the electric motor sound I hear when in all battery electric mode of my Prius hybrids.
solarjackjr 7 months ago
How about the drivers just take care in residential areas and look for any potential hazards as they drive down the road? If they see someone start walking into the road.. HONK and/or swerve out of the way and apply the brakes. How about the pedestrians take extra precautions and look both ways before they cross the road?
Artificial noise is a ridiculous idea.
dan428 7 months ago
I hate all 4 of the Focus Electric sounds. Wish more people actually were aware of the significant toll urban noise, the majority of it from autos, takes on human health. At least in the UK, they're actually thinking before requiring artificial noise for EVs. In the U.S., the whole EV noise requirement has been driven by emotion, ignorance, and sheer apathy toward the urban noise cacophony.
cbdh19 7 months ago
@cbdh19
stinkybuddydog 7 months ago
@kenltron: I'm a bicyclist too, but urban noise is out of control. Buy a mirror. I've got one. It's invaluable. Too many bikers complaining that EVs need to be noisy, but who refuse to bike with a mirror.
cbdh19 7 months ago
@cbdh19: Agreed, they're ruining one of the best parts of an EV (imo)... A nice quiet ride. I own a bike and would never ask EV owners to put these awful sounds on their cars. Boo new laws!
Surrylic86 7 months ago
They are all bad. Sorry. Make it sound like a non race car, or just have it play Pink Floyd's "Money"!
StrategyFiend 7 months ago
Ford: Please do testing with bicyclists in mind. The way I know a car is coming is by sound, so the EV should "sound like a car approaching" to a bicyclist up ahead, considering the noise of the bike itself will mask part of the car's sound. Perhaps, as with the Leaf, the car itself will generate enough noise at a certain speed (like tire noise) without the need for the artificial noise, and that's fine. As long as I can hear it approaching one way or another! Thanks!
kenltron 7 months ago
@kenltron Use your DAMN EYES.
bluestreak117 7 months ago
Comment removed
kenltron 7 months ago
They couldn't make it sound like the cars from the Jetson's?
cixelsydmi79 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I made one by myself too! I would like it if cars make marimba and xylophone sounds. It's a very organic sound and imagine what you would hear if you would stand on a busy intersection! Please see my YouTube page for the video!
jstvndrr 7 months ago
B works I guess. C and D both sound like a jet engine, which has a shrill note to it that is really annoying.
My biggest request is make this sound INAUDIBLE FROM THE CABIN. No one in the cabin needs to hear this.
Also turn it off at speeds over 45mph. Sight-impaired people shouldn't be crossing highways, and even if they do, no car is silent over 45mph anyway.
doc3osh 7 months ago
I vote for D because it reminds me the modules in Star Wars .
ifritdieudufeu 7 months ago
Blind people initiated this effort, but what became very clear to us early on was that this affects sighted people as well. It makes no sense to have a stealth vehicle traveling our streets. We want cars that are as quiet as they can safely be--no noisier and no quieter.
gwunder55 7 months ago
I believe I can live with any of these sounds and put emphasis on the word live. As a blind person, sound is critical for my safe and independent travel. It is unfair to suggest that the powers in Washington initiated or are the primary people concerned with safe pedestrian travel where cars that make no usable sound are concerned.
gwunder55 7 months ago
B first then A , C and D doesn't suit a car.
Madkaikarashish 7 months ago
make em tunable
635574 7 months ago
this is the best though they are all terrible, and that is bad, because i am considering buying one of these. and please, DONT make it sound like a combustion engine
nordicjim 7 months ago
i just want mine to sound like its playing the darth vader theme....
ralfieboi 7 months ago
Jet take off? Sounds like it is struggling.
MrJacobStewart 7 months ago
B is the best
cyndelco1 7 months ago
d is loud enough but not anoying
lblblb53 7 months ago
How bout a sound of wadding paper up and throwing it away??
Looks and sounds(all4 ideas) like crap.
Try again..
How about a cammed bigblock sound thru some nice mufflers?
TTOP350 7 months ago
B, D, C, A
SirEnigma 7 months ago
Ok these sounds aren't very good. How about the sound Jetsons car made....
MrStevej69 7 months ago
Funny.....Mine went like this.......A D B C
You have to admit...>that A one sound like the Jet......and really the other three.....well I started to look for Kirk and Spock....
Piper9285 7 months ago
These are all really strange. Why can't it sound like any other ford focus? Or create a soundboard and allow the owner to choose which sounds he/she wants to use, and put all the sounds of different fords, from the mustang to the GT to the focus, let the owner choose.
zachwhatnow 7 months ago
I get that you guys have to create a sound that covers a wide audible spectrum so that the sound is sure to do its job, but can it be a bit less jarring? Take a cue from an idling jet engine. There's a high-pitched sort of hum/whistling combined with the guttural growl of heavy machinery and raw power. Should serve to keep people safe because, let's face it - who wouldn't get the hell out of the way if they heard a jet engine behind them?
Sharpeye2013 7 months ago
well, if these electric cars are to sound like the current diesel engines i would certainly be highly disappointed. They should come up with a sound that is not too high, nor too low.
The sound should be pleasant for the ear, because imagine a thousand cars around you sounding all wrong... that's gonna be annoying.
LeafPoems 7 months ago
@LeafPoems - today's diesel engines (in passenger automobiles) do not sound like the diesel engines of even 5 years ago. I've owned three - the first two sounded like a semi - clattering, loud engines. My current diesel does not sound at all like a diesel engine, except when the engine is stone cold and ambient temperatures are below 40 degree Fahrenheit. Once the engine warms up, it's no louder than a comparable gasoline engine and makes very similar sounds. With MUCH better fuel economy!
yeahrightnc 7 months ago
Now - the bigger vehicles - Ford's F-Series SuperDuty diesels are not in the same class - they still have the loud engines, because of the size of the engine, the vehicle they have to propel and the loads they have to carry/pull - but they are ever-evolving. I'd like to see the Ford EVs sound a bit more traditional - and I really like the suggestion of a sound card that the owner can choose the sound his/her car makes, from a pre-arranged list. But they do need "some" noise.
yeahrightnc 7 months ago
They DO all sound like Dyson vacs....I don't like any of them. Like the car though...!!
kimmerz4507 7 months ago
What sound, how about quite as a mouse
bohica2011 7 months ago
@pilot4prophet: I think the problem was that hearing impaired pedestrians are used to cars making certain noises. Tire noise isn't enough on a day with ambidnt noise around them. The "cool factor" of my quiet car isn't worth the risk to them, especially if they step out from behind a bush too fast for me to honk the horn.
roninjedi 7 months ago
D sounds the best to me, but why artificial sound? That's a waste of energy. How about it's natural sond without any extras. The tire noise is enough for me. Oh, wait, there may be lawyers lurking around that corner.
pilot4prophet 7 months ago
"C" sounds more updated, "B" sounds like a current vehicle, "D" is just DULL and "A" no real appetite.
"C" it is!
747austin 7 months ago
they all sounded the same to me (wonderfully quiet) I wish I could afford one
loiecats 7 months ago
they all sounded the same to me (wonderfully quiet)
loiecats 7 months ago
'B' isn't bad, but just let the ENGINEERS pick one that has the best acoustic properties that can be HEARD and FELT (low frequency content). The fake turbine sounds are ridiculous for the purpose intended. I think Dyson (vacuums) will sue for copping their turbo vortex suction sound.
jmcgliss 7 months ago
D!
matteomiles 7 months ago
Discrete and powerfull
Szilarddulai 7 months ago
sound D is the best...
herkesuzman 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
this is retarded, why do you want it to make noise!? one of the coolest things about an ev is that it's silent....
claudiusof 7 months ago
Comment removed
claudiusof 7 months ago
It should sound like KITT from Knight Rider (the 1982 one).
novaklevy 7 months ago
where do the whistle tips attach?
johnfranks 7 months ago
Sounds more like a commercial airplane on the runway.
Daytona79 7 months ago
Is this an April fools? Car manufacturers strive to make cars quieter, so they make a silent one then choose to make it noisier, if someone steps out in front use the bloody horn.
kaieshabish22 7 months ago 3
@kaieshabish22 A lot of accidents could be avoided by making a noise though; using the horn is not always going to give enough time for a pedestrian to react, the point in making a noise at all times is that a pedestrian will know not to step into the road in the first place.
Obviously people should look both ways anyway, so ideally it wouldn't be an issue, but people are used to cars making noises and they may not look if they can't hear anything. This mistake shouldn't be punishable by death!
eliasvasylenko 7 months ago
1 This one "D" is the least intrusive, but enough to get your attention that something is coming up behind you. It's more like the sound of a forklift in a warehouse.
2 Sound "B" has a mix of motor and electric sounds, which is more representative of what a car is, but the sound is a bit too common.
3 Sound "C" .. I would expect to see some alien spaceship coming up behind me.
4 Sound "A" is even more alien spaceship sound.
Easier to just select the sound you want, like your phone's ringtone
antoncolbo 8 months ago
this sounds more like an electric car! :P although I would prefer the ford having no sound at all or just some silent buzzing
WillMasterke 8 months ago
I think they just recorded a Hoover vacuum for this one because it SUCKS the most.
Keithkp 8 months ago
a better sound would be this one:
watch?v=zJslCyfPh3Y
fdhmcking 8 months ago
I would much prefer some pleasant buzzing sound over all of this shit.
ubernassbirne 8 months ago 2
d sounds like an electric car, b sounds like a classical car, a and c are annoying.
but the best solution would be to keep it as silent as possible.
academix1 8 months ago
DEAE FORD: THIS IS A LOT OF S.H.I.T.
WHY IT IS PURPOSELESS.
DoubbleSizeRainn 8 months ago
@DoubbleSizeRainn They HAVE to add a vehicle sound to warn other people...otherwise people just get ran over :p
Ioner66 8 months ago
This...so much...this!
Ioner66 8 months ago
Dear Ford: Make Tron light cycle sound. Sincerely you're welcome
ChunkyChipz 8 months ago
i dont want to feel like living near an airport god dammit! shitty sounds so far
marcus2556 8 months ago
whats with all the fake turbine sounds? makes me glad to hear the straight exhaust note of my ancient audi's turbocharged inline 5...music, sweet music...
m8sullivan 8 months ago
The note needs to be lower.
DocWolph 8 months ago
Like D the best, the most like some high-powered electro-jet-engine.
troutman747 8 months ago
Their all fairly terrible to be honest, why not some sort of hum rather than buzzing or whining sounds?
VieVentar 8 months ago
I have to agree with tonydmb.
DeRhamme 8 months ago
Car tones!
How about the sound George Jetson's car makes?
mrflummy 8 months ago
It should be quieter. Soft and smooth. or like others said give the driver a choice.
TheHelards 8 months ago
Just loose any high pitched sounds- this is the best of the 4
tonydmb 8 months ago