As kids we used a clothes pin and a playing card on our bikes to make them sound like motorcycles!

I had to look up what they were called, but we used Kwenchy cups where I come from in the UK or occasionally a discarded can. Both stuck between the rear brake and tyre. Can't have been good for the tyre but sounded great.

And here I was looking forward to the day when an auto manufacturer offered the option to make their electric vehicles sound like George Jetson's car.

The Jetson cars was a trill, would make an excellent choice.

But if you listen to a Honda hybrid in electric drive, they make a sound like the (SHADO) UFO flying saucer.

So what were they proposing - Rap for BMWs with tinted windows and Verdi for a Lexus?

Or have I got my cultural stereotypes wrong?

What absolute nonsense!

If some moto goes "hang on for the ride, dearie!" to the tune of The Ride of the Valkyries uncomfortably close behind my ear, I really do not want to have to stop and think about what is going on.

There are so many reasons for honking off nowadays, they really do need to be standardised.

[Wot no so-far-out-it's-in-the-wrong-universe icon?]

Aww, I'd hoped for "Main battle tank - gas turbine".

Or perhaps "Misfiring two-stroke"

Would it be possible to get Spokey Dokes on my next EV instead? Asking for a friend.

... is that the NHTSA has nixed the idea of user selectable sounds, but apparently, at least for now, have not retricted the manufacturers on what sound(s) they can use. So if BMW or Cadillac did decide to use some rap beat, that would be OK as long as it isn't user selectable?

Unsure on this. User selectable noises refuted because of lack of evidence, but is there evidence that a completely standardised noise is required either?

It feels like common sense to me that a standardised noise is better, but common sense is neither that common, nor always right.

A "few" recognisable sounds doesn't seem like a massive issue to me, unless there is evidence suggesting there is a problem with that!

Edit a few mins later: also unrelated from a consumer perspective I'd probably choose the most obnoxious noise possible to avoid any liability being mine if the choice had to be mine - I doubt I'd be alone and the roads would sound like a Vegas casino. Glad it's not on the consumer

Since you can not actually hear the sound from inside the car (with the windows closed), this is just a "look at me~ I'm cool" issue.

What with noise pollution being an increasing issue in towns and cities, I was praying for the EV revolution to improve the sound environment for everyone.

Noise pollution is a huge source of stress for a lot of people.

Back when I used to work in a corner office, I remember at 6pm when the air conditioning went off for the night the feeling of an enormous weight being lifted off of my shoulders. The thing is, it wasn't really that noisy, just a low background drone. You just don't know how oppressive low-level noise can be until it is gone.

I understand the problems that they are trying to address, but I really dread what these vehicles are going to be made to sound like.

Once the vast majority of vehicles are EV’s we could ditch this as tyre noise would be enough. I’m sighted but a runner. I recognise bike tyre noises very quickly so I can move over. usually before the rider has rung their bell (folk around here are good like that).

I don’t listen to music when walking or running partly for this reason, I use my ears a lot. Hearing the declining notes of a car coming from behind as I approach a side road causes me to look and see their indicator for eg.

I'm a cyclist and often hear the noise of tyres on the road (especially the huge off-road treaded ones), however there are many instances when there is enough wind noise (through nearby trees or shrubs, around my ears and helmet) or other ambient noise that I do not hear the car until it is quite close. Not that this has been a problem for me -- yet -- but given how shite so many people drive already I have concern about removing any of the few warnings we have.

As for type of noise, why not just have it sound like the EV's combustion-engine equivalent for car type, e.g., generic compact, four-door sedan, grocery getter (station wagon or SUV), land yacht luxury sedan, mini-pickup truck, and so on and be done with it?

If the stock drone gets a little too loud.

I’ve noticed that lorries have varying reversing sounds. Some are just ordinary high pitched beeps, others are like raucous crows.

Nope, we can't. The data for forcing all cars to use the same sound is almost as weak as the data for user selectable sounds.

There are some clear problems with silent killer cars, and with letting any idiot put any sound on any vehicle. I will go so far as to say it is a good thing that cars sound like cars, because its obvious and literally in the weeds. After that you are in the weeds as far as research goes.

The idea that every electric vehicle in the US will make exactly the same sound falls apart the moment you start picking at the threads.

Millions of earlier gen EV's are on the road already. So are millions of non-EV and hybrid cars that are about as quiet when they are not under power. Telling blind people that the can count on all the cars will make the same sound is a lie that will kill people. If it is a lie that will kill people, why are we accepting it as justification for this regulation change? In addition there is no indication that this scheme will be international, so you may also kill americans abroad as they look the wrong way and step in front of the unfamilar chord of a Renault or Skoda.

In addition, if, as I stated before the vehicles are limited to tones set my the automaker and cleared as appropriate for the vehicle type, the sound can tell you about the type of vehicle, not just that there is "something" there. That means a person can react appropriately if the light and airy tone of a kids scooter is pulling up behind them, as opposed to the grumbling growl of the trash truck that is moving a dumpster. One will probably go around you, the other may be about to smash you with a trash can.

So how about we let the manufacturers set something reasonable and let US-DOT do some actual research on this, then co-ordinate with the manufactuers so that there is an agreed solution that has been more thoroughly sanity checked.