Technophilia in the auto industry ramped up this week, as Volvo fine-tuned a simulated motor sound for its new diesel plug-in hybrid and General Motors (News - Alert) alluded to the availability of a self-driving car.
Automakers go to great lengths to ensure a “quiet ride” for their customers; but, in the United States, a car must make sufficient noise to rock incautious pedestrians back on their heels when it rolls, or you could be in violation of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010. Therefore, manufacturers of high-tech, low-decibel vehicles – including EVs and HEVs – are adding simulated engine sounds to their North American models.
As the 2012 release of the Volvo Car Corporation's V60 plug-in diesel hybrid approaches, the company is using its laboratory in Sweden to ensure that the car's “acoustic footprint” – both inside and outside the seating area–will resonate with consumers. “The aim is to fine-tune the noise level from the vehicle in order to create a seamless, pleasant sound experience,” said Peter Mertens, senior vice president, Research & Development at Volvo.
Strangely enough, Volvo contends, no car is truly silent. “We instinctively connect the combustion engine sound to our perception of driving a car. It works as an acoustic mat that blankets other sounds. When that mat is lifted off, you suddenly become aware of [intrusive noises],” said Martin Spång at the company’s Acoustic Laboratory.
In a plug-in hybrid vehicle – which combines diesel power to the front axle with an electric motor driving the rear wheels – the sound of diesel splashing in the fuel tank becomes noticeable to the driver when the car runs solely on electric power. In addition, other noises become apparent that could not be heard over the motor, including the sound of the wheels on the road surface, wind, pumps, fans, and relays. When the diesel engine cuts in again, the driver hears the workings of a “conventional vehicle.”
The challenge is to modify the car to produce a uniform sound irrespective of the propulsion mode currently in use. “What's important here is to strike the right balance between traditional and new sources of noise. Some sounds can be isolated and removed. In other cases, [it will be] up to our suppliers to develop quieter components in collaboration with us. What’s more, customers will get used to the fact that electric cars sound somewhat different. This will become part of these cars' personalities – their attraction and their trademark,” commented Martin Spång.
The company’s new noise is still on stealth-level security. Volvo says we’ll hear it when we see the car, next year – and that it will be a sound we associate with automotive luxury.
We’ll have to wait even longer for a truly self-driving car, but, speaking at the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Orlando on October 16, General Motors Vice President of Global Research and Development Alan Taub promised that vehicles that partially drive themselves will be available “by the middle of the decade, with more sophisticated self-driving systems by the end of the decade.”
Taub said we can expect to see a vehicle that uses sensors, radar, portable communications devices, GPS, and cameras to supply critical information to the driver and to its own internal computer system. Combined with digital maps, these technologies will enable the driver to let the vehicle handle the road, while he or she does something else.
“The technologies we’re developing will provide an added convenience by partially or even completely taking over the driving duties,” Taub said. “The primary goal, though, is safety. Future-generation safety systems will eliminate the crash altogether by interceding on behalf of drivers before they’re even aware of a hazardous situation.”
GM is already putting some of these advanced safety systems into its vehicles. For example, a side blind-zone alert is available on the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon, and Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban.
Additional advanced safety systems under development will provide the foundation for autonomous driving:
An industry-first crash avoidance system, already available on the 2012 GMC Terrain, uses a camera to help drivers avoid front-end and lane-departure crashes. The system uses a high-resolution digital camera mounted on the windshield ahead of the rearview mirror to look for shapes of vehicles and lane markings, alerting the driver to possible collisions and lane departures.
Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems will gather information from other vehicles, roadways, and traffic signals to warn drivers about possible hazards ahead – including stalled vehicles, hard-braking drivers, slippery roads, sharp curves, and upcoming stop signs and intersections. These systems will be embedded in the vehicle or be added as applications to portable devices or smartphones that connect wirelessly to the vehicle.
The EN-V urban mobility concept – which will combine GPS with vehicle-to-vehicle communications and distance-sensing technologies – will be the enabler for autonomous driving. The EN-V’s capabilities will include pedestrian detection, collision avoidance; and an automated parking and retrieval platform that allows the EN-V to drop off its driver, park itself, and then return to pick up the driver via commands from a smartphone.
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
