Imagine, Design, and Experience Interior Active Sounds For EV: A Comprehensive Process

Engine sound is no longer the main sound source inside electric vehicles (EV) and is even hardly audible at high speed. In ICE vehicles, an active sound technology known as engine sound enhancement (ESE) is sometimes used to enrich existing harmonics and improve the driving experience. For future EV, using an active sound synthesis based on speed and acceleration has been identified as a viable solution to enhance drivability and comfort, reinforce sportiness, and shape the brand image. These new application fields for active sound come together with new challenging questions for car manufacturers: Which kind of active sound is suitable for EV? How does sound influence the driver's behaviour? In this paper, a comprehensive sound design methodology is proposed. First, a sound concept definition stage is described with a creative process to imagine how future EV should sound. Then, innovative design tools dedicated to active sound are presented. Finally, two complementary solutions are proposed to experience and compare several active sound designs: the first one allows the conduction of immersive experiments in a driving simulator, while the second one makes it possible to experience newly designed active sounds in vehicle, with real driving conditions.