Hacker News Reader

EVs at low speeds need to produce external sounds to warn pedestrians.

Warn pedestrians about what?

That they’re near. They’re so quiet unless you hear them shifting gravel on the road you won’t hear them. It’s dangerous to walk around anywhere vehicles park if an EV is present.

I know that HN is not one person, but this is getting out of hand. Some commenters are so upset about EV sounds they write petitions to have them banned, others swear that pedestrians fall dead from their sheer quietness.

Maybe the EVs adapt to local regulations, because from my experience, depending on the model, they sound like a sad harmonica, hurdy-gurdy, or a model fighter jet, all of which are quite entertaining but fulfill the function.

I think the complaints were about EVs with fake sounds, added because they are so quiet. So both things are happening - some EVs are too quiet, others are too loud with the fake sounds.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com