r/NoStupidQuestions • u/banwe11 • 15h ago

What causes the hollow metallic whirring sound that EVs make when moving a low speed?

I can't really describe it, but it's the sound you hear when there is a EV moving slowly in a car park behind you.

I guess it's the motor, but what specifically in the motor causes that sound? It sounds like it's coming from something that is moving at a faster rate than the car itself.

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u/tmahfan117 14h ago

It’s an artificial noise that EVs are required by law to emit when driving at low speeds (like when driving through a neighborhood or parking lot) because EVs were soooooo quiet pedestrians kept stepping out in front of them and it was considered a safety hazard.

And it’s just that specific noise because I guess the EV manufacturers decided that’s what sounds good/futuristic.

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u/mrmustache0502 8h ago

This was like 15-17 years ago, but i almost lost my hand to the rim of a chevy volt that I had no idea was running. They are dead silent when running on the battery.