I usually have the same passenger every time I drive our long-term Mini E. And every time, he hums along to the ascending whir of the electric motor on its way to its 12,500-rpm redline. And as soon as my foot comes off the throttle, he hums to the descending whir of the regenerative braking. It has become a joke between us. There's a mix of humor, wonder and resignation in the humming, I think. By wonder, I mean that electric motors do sound sort of cool. And by resignation, I mean that neither of us is yet ready for a world where all, or even half the cars, sound quite like this.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 2,699 miles
vt8919 says:
10:12 AM, 11/ 6/09
I can't wait until all cars are electric. That way no one can add those loud exhaust pipes to their cars. I mean what are teenagers going to do then, put a playing card in the wheel spokes a la bicycles?
throwback says:
10:30 AM, 11/ 6/09
Erin, add me to the group not ready for electric hums to replace the sound of a reving engine. If EVs take off there will sound machines available to make the sweet sounds we love to hear. There are too many geardheads out there.
hybris says:
11:00 AM, 11/ 6/09
@vt8919
Sadly yes you are right the really loud exhausts are over the top but the more subtle ones tuned more for performance than noise can really sound good. Personally I would cry if all cars went electric today as it would be the fall of mankind and the start of something that would probably feel more like 1984 or Fahrenheit 411. Truly a slippery slope if there ever was one.
On topic I would have to hear the Mini E's hum before I can think of it as cool or just annoying as hell.
sabastian says:
08:55 AM, 11/ 7/09
@ hybris
Really? 1984 / Fahrenheit 411? Couldn't you say the same thing about any new technology? Cell phones? The internet? Jet Engines? I love the sound of a nicely tuned engine just as much as the next petrol-head, but the advent of alternative-fuel vehicles isn't going to bring down society as we know it.
hybris says:
11:56 AM, 11/ 7/09
I don't mind the alt-fuel vehicles its the intent and people who are most often pushing these vehicles that I do mind because it forwards agendas that in the long run are "Good for the environment and ok for you."