Electric Vehicles (EVs) are gaining global recognition for their unique benefits over traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. According to the World Economic Forum and Statista, the global sales of EVs have seen an annual growth of roughly 30% over the last decade. The eco-friendliness, resulting from zero CO2 emissions, is one of the major factors contributing to their rising popularity. Furthermore, EVs operate at peak efficiency with minimal noise or vibrations, thanks to their motor propulsion.
However, the reduced sound emissions have led to safety problems of pedestrians, cyclists, animals, and those with physical disabilities. The European Blind Union (EBU) has highlighted the dangers of silent transportation, which can go from zero to a hundred miles per hour in less than ten seconds, posing a significant risk to those with visual impairments. Because of these concerns, UN 138 legislation now mandates all electric and hybrid vehicles sold in the European Union to be equipped with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) from July 1, 2021.
What’s the Alternative? In keeping with our commitment to public safety and compliance with EV legislation, we at THOR AVAS operate in line with the UN 138 legislation currently in place. Our goal is to enhance the acoustic ecology of our cities with synthetic, artificially intelligent acoustic vehicle warning systems. Solution such as THOR AVAS have been developed for optimal synchronization. Our focus has been on transforming a wide variety of noises into harmonious notes and multi-layered, sonically pleasing audio effects to create electric vehicle warning sounds.
Let’s delve deeper into the various precisely designed sound layers that make up THOR AVAS sounds of its warning system and understand how each of them functions:
The Engine Simulation Layer
The Engine Simulation Layer consists of components of synthetic data generated using oscillators to mimic realistic engine sounds in AVAS electric cars. High frequencies are filtered out, leaving behind a tonally grounded base. This process allows THOR AVAS engineers to infuse the sounds with a specific atmosphere and synchronize them with additional notification layers, both constructed on the tonic note. The result is a unique, dynamic, and distortion-free sound for each package at all target frequencies.
The Additional Alert Layers
THOR AVAS creates additional alert layers using melodic sequences based on synthesized samples of plucked instruments or processed samples of bells, integrated into sounds of AVAS of electric scooters and electric mopeds. These audio layers are included in the Thor AVAS sound package and can be used at 10 kilometers per hour (approx. 6 mph). They continue to increase in intensity and volume up to a speed of 40 kilometers per hour (approx. 24 mph), where the announcement character reaches its maximum range of AVAS dynamics.
The Vehicle Acceleration/Deceleration Layer
The non-musical mechanical sounds that make up the vehicle acceleration/deceleration layer draw attention to the moment when the vehicle is accelerating. Furthermore, it provides “feedback” to the driver regarding the acceleration time. The AVAS audio data for this layer comes from a wide sonic palette ranging from the foundational sounds of small motors to the movements of large industrial turbines.
Electric Vehicle Safety and the Importance of Acoustic Ecology In response to growing environmental concerns, governments and automakers worldwide are exploring the potential of electric vehicles as a sustainable transportation alternative. It’s widely agreed that these vehicles can significantly improve air quality and dramatically reduce noise pollution.
Countries across the globe are updating their legal frameworks and adopting AVAS systems to decrease accidents caused by low levels of electric vehicle sounds. Most AVAS systems in the market produce harsh squeaking or beeping noises to warn pedestrians, which contradicts the current concepts of future cities’ acoustic ecology and pedestrian safety systems standards. THOR AVAS has developed different solutions that create beautiful and acoustically acceptable AVAS soundtracks for EVs, considering the UN 138 Regulation, modern cities’ acoustic ecologies, and diverse environments.
THOR’s solution includes an electronic module that is plug-in and an external AVAS speaker system controlled via an application available for both iOS and Android mobile devices. THOR AVAS allows users to customize the AVAS audio effects in their vehicle according to their preferences, enabling drivers to create a unique sonic identity.
With over five years of experience in developing acoustic vehicle alerting systems for electric vehicles, engineers at THOR spend a significant amount of time modifying and syncing sounds from various noise environments, dissecting them into notes, and ultimately creating a musical AVAS soundtrack for the electric vehicles of the future
About the company THOR (Thor Tech):
The manufacturing company THOR was founded in 2017 and its first successful project was a revolutionary electronic exhaust system for gasoline and diesel cars. The company develops software and hardware, designs acoustic elements and has patents for technologies in the field of recording and reproducing the sounds of real motors. THOR has created the largest library of sounds, which is transmitted via an electronic module to a special vehicle speaker and synchronized with each cycle of its movement. Since 2020, the AVAS project has been launched – sound support for electric vehicles. The system is based on a patented principle and operates within the established UNECE Noise and Sound Regulation No. 138.
