Following Electric Cars... High Growth in the Sound Generator Market Too

Source: Korea Automotive Technology Institute

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] The market for sound generators that artificially produce noise in electric vehicles is expected to grow alongside the electric vehicle market.

The Korea Automotive Technology Institute announced this on the 22nd in a report titled "Sound Generators Adding Safety and Sensibility to Electric Vehicles."

The institute explained, "Electric vehicles do not produce exhaust noise when starting or driving at low speeds, creating a new safety issue for pedestrians. Therefore, it is necessary to artificially generate separate sounds. Electric vehicle sound generators have become essential components for pedestrian safety, and their installation has been made mandatory in major countries."

In the case of the European Union (EU), since July 2019, electric and hybrid vehicles have been required to be equipped with sound generators that emit exhaust noise of 56 decibels (dB) or more at speeds below 20 km/h. The United States has mandated exhaust noise generation for all electric and hybrid vehicles produced since September 2019 at speeds below 30 km/h. South Korea has enforced mandatory installation of low-noise vehicle exhaust sound devices since July last year.

The report stated that many automakers have developed and applied virtual sound generators even before the mandatory installation. Nissan installed the VSP (Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians), which emits frequencies (600Hz to 2.5kHz) that are not perceived as noise below 30 km/h, in a switch format.

General Motors (GM) installed a manual button-type sound generator that operates below 64 km/h early on the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) model Volt. Hyundai Mobis developed an external sound generator (AVAS) that uses the front grille as a sound vibration plate and an internal virtual exhaust sound (ASD), applying them to various vehicle types beyond electric vehicles.

Senior Researcher Jaewan Yang of the Korea Automotive Technology Institute said, "The electric vehicle sound generator market is expected to grow alongside the electric vehicle market due to mandatory installation. In addition to pedestrian warnings, differentiated functions such as unique sounds and driving assistance will be increasingly applied."