Electric stealth vehicles

[giropaul]

I tend to ride in the lanes, as it’s more pleasant. It’s very quiet, and I can hear cars, tractors etc from some distance.
However, the electric cars creep up silently and  I’ve no idea they are there until there’s some gravel etc.
The drivers typically then glower at me for holding them up.
Anyone else find the same?

[DuncanM]

Most pure EVs have a noise generator under 20mph, and it's mandatory on new ones. The theory is that above that, the road noise should be sufficient for them to be heard. I don't think Phevs have the same noise requirements.

Either way, the glowering is crap, you shouldn't have to move out the way.

[Wowbagger]

When we had our first Nissan Leaf we surprised some DoE Award types in the Brecon Beacons. They were walking along a minor road and we crept up behind them and very little more than a walking pace. I stuck my head out of the window and said "Excuse me please!" in a cheerful voice and they were utterly gobsmacked that a car could have arrived within about 10 feet of them without any of them noticing.

I can't remember whether I had deliberately switched the noise generator off or not.

[Diver300]

I've managed to creep up on pedestrians in purely IC cars. A straight six petrol engine can be very quiet on tickover.

[Kim]

I used to switch off the noise generator on the Leaf because I found the whining noise immensely irritating.  There was also that time a dog tried to attack it.

I would always drive on the assumption that pedestrians wouldn't hear me coming at low speed.  Just like I do when I'm cycling.

I've never had a specific problem with EV drivers on the road (hybrid taxis are another matter) .  If anything, EV drivers tend to be more patient, though I think that's an early-adopter effect and is wearing off as EVs become more mainstream.  I find that the switching noise of an electric drivetrain stands out in traffic noise and makes me think "ooh, that's an electric car behind", though it's not a sound that plays well with high-frequency hearing loss, so I expect I'll lose that ability as I age (probably around the point that every other vehicle is electric).

I vaguely recall that one of the manufacturers is installing an Ogmios-style gentle beep, for alerting cyclists and pedestrians to your approach without a full blast of horn.  Sounds reasonable.

[Kim]

I've managed to creep up on pedestrians in purely IC cars. A straight six petrol engine can be very quiet on tickover.

This too.  All you really need is for them to not be paying attention.

[perpetual dan]

Is modding the noise generator a thing yet? I imagine that might be of interest to the tesco car park in the evening crowd.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Kim]

I believe that Tesla's horn is programmable.  Possibly not legally.

I've thought it would be quite nice to install a bicycle bell under the bonnet of an EV for this sort of thing.  Obviously a real bell with a servo to activate it, none of this recorded rubbish.

[Diver300]

I believe that Tesla's horn is programmable.  Possibly not legally.

I've thought it would be quite nice to install a bicycle bell under the bonnet of an EV for this sort of thing.  Obviously a real bell with a servo to activate it, none of this recorded rubbish.

There are bicycle bells that look like bottle dynamos. They are operated by the cable from the handlebars pulling it into contact with the tyre, causing it to spin and the clapper rotated against the inside of the bell.

That would be trivial to motorise and would probably sound just like a normal bell.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313990904036

[Kim]

Ah, good idea.

I molished a bracket to mount a small R/C servo in exactly the right position to frob the bringer on a bring-bring bell as an easter-egg for The Orrery,  mainly because it had an n-channel servo driver driving a single servo, and I had a cheapy bell lying around.  It worked surprisingly well.

[Jaded]

I notice electric vehicles when I mam out ib town, walking.

Unless there is other noise. So, wind, other traffic further away, etc. mask EVs. I'm not sure of the answer - I imagine that many first generation EV buyers have some care, but as they become more ubiquitous, that care will be diluted by normal drivers.

[De Sisti]

The drivers typically then glower at me for holding them up.

It happens no matter what type of vehicle they drive.

[Flite]

Not many EVs around here yet - too rural.
But silent cars could cause me problems as I rely on my ears a lot.
My almost completely deaf husband uses a handlebar mirror.

On the other hand, as a driver/cyclist I tend to think that folks who don't hear my approach may be deaf and make allowances.
Never occurs to husband that anyone else on the road may be deaf, and he gets very impatient!

[Kim]

In my experience deaf people are a lot better at being aware of their surroundings than distracted hearing people.

But ultimately, nearly-silent vehicles aren't new.  Pedal cycles have been a thing since well before we started fitting combustion engines to things, and never actually went away.

[Beardy]

In my experience deaf people are a lot better at being aware of their surroundings than distracted hearing people.

we really should meet up sometime. I’m sure I can disabuse your of all sorts of notions you hold about deaf people 

But ultimately, nearly-silent vehicles aren't new.  Pedal cycles have been a thing since well before we started fitting combustion engines to things, and never actually went away.

[sojournermike]

The glowering is just people - hard to believe but there are ignorant people on bikes and feet too.

Kim, I think, hits the nail on the head re the ‘early adopter effect’. I’ve pondered this too as the number of Tesla model 3s increases, apparently exponentially (though not in reality - just so no-one corrects my understanding of manufacturing). EVs are increasingly just cars out there in the wider world.

[sojournermike]

The glowering is just people - hard to believe but there are ignorant people on bikes and feet too.

Kim, I think, hits the nail on the head re the ‘early adopter effect’. I’ve pondered this too as the number of Tesla model 3s increases, apparently exponentially (though not in reality - just so no-one corrects my understanding of manufacturing). EVs are increasingly just cars out there in the wider world.

Should say, my early adopted Tesla M3 doesn’t have a noise generator. The newer ones do and it’s pretty irritating tbh. Given how willing the drivers of fossil powered cars are to run us down I’m always going to look before I wander out into the road.

[lissotriton]

I'm thinking I need a bell on my electric motorbike. Has been a few times on minor roads, with pedestrians / cyclists / dogs wandering around. Tooting the horn would be a bit impolite, and don't want to just sneak up on them. Sometimes takes people a while to notice.
Maybe something like a Timber bell, so I can just leave it ringing? Or a Hornit, with a variety of silly noises.

[cycleman]

I find that  my mirrors help in these situations. I have learnt to check them every few seconds as I was when learning to drive many years ago..  The one that I don't see could hit me  . Poor observation skills one of the most common causes of accidents.

[loadsabikes]

I find that  my mirrors help in these situations. I have learnt to check them every few seconds as I was when learning to drive many years ago..  The one that I don't see could hit me  . Poor observation skills one of the most common causes of accidents.

Yes old chap, but most of the time your mirrors fall off!! Sorry, having ridden behind you on a number of occasions and picked up the bits

[Adam]

For modern cars driving around town, all the noise seems to come from the tyres.  I've noticed little difference between Tesla/Leaf/Kia EVs going past me and ordinary petrol powered cars.  It's only the silly nutters with souped up engines & exhausts who stand out.

[Jurek]

^
This.
Modern car engines are near as dammit silent on tickover.
99% of the noise  is from tyre / tarmac interaction.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I believe that Tesla's horn is programmable.  Possibly not legally.

I've thought it would be quite nice to install a bicycle bell under the bonnet of an EV for this sort of thing.  Obviously a real bell with a servo to activate it, none of this recorded rubbish.

There are bicycle bells that look like bottle dynamos. They are operated by the cable from the handlebars pulling it into contact with the tyre, causing it to spin and the clapper rotated against the inside of the bell.

That would be trivial to motorise and would probably sound just like a normal bell.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313990904036

I've heard (non-motorised) bells of that type on "Dutch" bikes (but obviously not in the Netherlands) and they sounded nothing like a normal bell. At least, nothing like a normal bicycle bell. Very like a normal tram bell, which tends to get attention (even in a town without trams).

[cycleman]

I find that  my mirrors help in these situations. I have learnt to check them every few seconds as I was when learning to drive many years ago..  The one that I don't see could hit me  . Poor observation skills one of the most common causes of accidents.

Yes old chap, but most of the time your mirrors fall off!! Sorry, having ridden behind you on a number of occasions and picked up the bits

I  use stronger glue these days, and stronger glasses 

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

In our 20 limit street t'other day, I crept up on a cat sitting in the middle of the road.  Almost had to stop before it heard me and then it took its time getting out of the way, giving me a reproachful look.  Is there something in the new highway code about not disturbing cats?

We now have a Yaris Hybrid after a petrol only version.  It has all sort of warning signals.  Using the bike rack, it tends to slam the brakes on when I am reversing, making a loud crunching noise. Only very reluctantly will it let me reverse with the bike rack on.