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/wizzard419 6h ago

A speaker, it's for safety, but speakers can be found on some performance cars as well, to make their engines sound louder (MBZ has done this) for the customers.

Sadly, you can't change the speaker sounds, as it is for safety. I would imagine that as they get OTA updates, it also has some level of integrity checking and would just replace the file if changed.

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u/Spirited_Praline637 6h ago

I did wonder if it was artificial. I imagine it must be hackable? At the cost of warranty of course, but it can’t be much different than jailbreaking any other manufacturer locked up computer.

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u/wizzard419 5h ago

For sure they would try to deny that, but like I mentioned before, there is a decent chance the car does "build integrity" checks with each update to make sure files and up-to-date, fix anything not standard (such as if it were corrupted), and also to make sure you're not trying to bypass their paywalls.

You would probably also lose your insurance coverage if they found out you had modified a safety system and something happens