The Sound of Silence...

In 1901, a doctor in Bridgeport, Conn., was driving along in his horse-drawn carriage when a silent electric vehicle crept up behind him. The car, a Riker surrey, spooked the horse; the doctor was thrown from the carriage and dragged about 50 feet. He sued for $50,000 for the dislocation of one finger and his general discombobulation during the incident. He alleged that EVs were too silent. He lost his case.

But the doctor's charges are still with us, over 100 years later. In a recent edition of The Oregonian, columnist Margie Boule discussed the perils of EVs in relation to bicyclists and pedestrians, especially the blind. Is this such a problem in the real world? A few of the members of the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association related their own experiences as drivers of these sneaky cars:

I drive a three-wheeled Xebra SD. It's pretty quiet, so I just roll down the windows and yell, "Hey! Hey! Hey!" all the time. Besides being more safe, all the shouting burns calories, builds abdominal muscles, and gives me that desirable, husky, blues-singer voice. Seriously, the Xebra SD comes equipped with an annoying backup beeper. As for moving forward? When you are driving a car that looks like an enormous lima bean, people tend to notice you just fine. -- Glade Diviney

I’ve always wanted to put a sign on the front of my EV for the Fourth of July parade: 'Q: What does an EV sound like?' On the back I would have another sign: 'A: Anything you want.' I would have assorted sound effects playing on a fairly loud external speaker: horse hooves, jet engine, diesel truck, steam locomotive, etc. Somewhat more seriously, I would like to have something noisy that sounds like a vehicle when approaching kids playing in the neighborhood streets. I would turn it off late at night and on the freeway. I have rolled down the windows and turned up the radio a few times. -- Gary Graunke

I had an idea about 6 months ago that EVs should have low-powered, exterior loudspeaker devices that emit car sounds. Rumble noises for idling and wheel-squealing noises when you press on the pedal. Might freak out the police force until they get used to EVs. -- Garry Painter

In Corvallis, Ore., which has an above-average biking population, one has to keep a close eye out for them [bicyclists] anyhow. As a result, it hasn't been a separate problem. I view any collision between car and pedestrian/biker (or, really, any mobile object) as a 2-point failure (except for rear-ending collisions, which are I see as always the fault of the rear party). Both hould assume the other doesn't see them and act accordingly, unless they have made at least eye contact. -- Alan Batie

A good noise maker to consider besides the usual horn is an ahooga horn for non-offensive honking. You can get new aftermarket electric ones. They're cool in general. -- Myles Twete

I can hear the tire noise from my wife's Prius inside the house when she pulls up to the house and into the driveway. Sure, it's quieter than other cars, but it's far from silent. Ditto for my EV. I once tried to sneak up on a coworker as she was walking in the parking lot. She turned and said, "It's not *that* quiet!" -- Ralph Merwin

I have a Curtis controller that squeals at low speed, so I don't have much trouble being heard. --Tony McCormick

EVs are not completely silent. The tires have road noise like any other V. They can have water pumps, heat pumps, fans (mine has all 3) and other things that make noise. EVs are often low-speed vehicles and so safer (more time to react and shorter stopping distance). I would argue that EV drivers are safer; we are much less likely to be distracted drivers since we are likely practicing efficient, range-extending, driving techniques. You just can not do that while on your cell, drinking coffee, and shaving or doing make-up. And if you spent all that time and
money converting it yourself, you don't want to lose it all trying to get somewhere 5 minutes sooner. It would be interesting to see insurance data that compared the EV driver population to the general public. -- Patrick

 Photo courtesy uzvards.