You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious.
Hi there, Brains On friends.
Today's episode started when a listener noticed something odd.
Maybe you've noticed it too.
Some cars on the road aren't rumbling or vrooming.
They're humming, almost like they're making music.
These are electric cars, or EVs, and we're going to meet someone who gives them their signature sounds.
Designing EV sounds for me is like being a DJ, you know, a composer and a wizard all at once.
Plus, an electric car game show where our co-host Asher solves puzzles with the power of sound.
So, buckle up.
Oh, hey Molly.
What's better than a bowl of noodles and cottage cheese?
Excuse me.
That's my favorite snack.
There's nothing better.
Yeah.
But what about listening to podcasts without the ads?
Oh, you're talking about our Smarty Pass where people can listen to uninterrupted episodes of Brains On and all the shows in Brains On Universe.
Yeah, way better than noodles and cottage cheese, am I right?
Well, I think they're both kind of tied for the best thing ever.
Fair point.
Why don't you tell people where they can get it?
Sure.
Any local grocery store should have lots of noodle choices.
No, the Smarty Pass!
Oh, that's even easier. head to smartypass.org to sign up.
That's smartypassorg to get ad-free episodes, discounts on merch and live shows and hangouts with the Brains on Universe crew.
You know, all this talk about Smarty Pass has made me a little hungry.
I'm going to go get a snack.
You're listening to Brains On, brought to you by the Brains On Universe.
I'm your host, Molly Bloom, and I'm joined by Asher from Johnson Creek, Wisconsin.
Hey there, Asher.
Hi, Molly.
Today, we're taking a look, or should I say listen, to electric cars.
And we're going to answer this question from Emmett in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
My name is Emmett and my question is why are electric cars so quiet?
Asher, have you noticed that electric cars are quiet?
Yeah, it's just like a quiet hum when they go by.
It's... Yeah, some of the electric cars have like interesting backup noises.
Have you noticed that?
Yeah.
So there's this one guy with an electric car across the street and I noticed the electric car sound gets way louder when he puts it in reverse.
Yeah, I think they're like, we don't want to run you over, so we're going to get louder.
Be careful.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What sounds do you associate with cars on the street?
For regular cars, I just think it's loud and kind of like sounds like clanging in it.
Do you have a favorite car?
So there's this, I just like read about it.
It's this flying car, but it's like with no wings or propellers that, like fans, are contained within the car.
Is it real?
No.
Yeah, it's electric.
Some aeronautics company made it.
Whoa, that is very cool.
Do you think you'd like to try a flying car?
Yes, I think it would be so fun to drive a flying car.
So back to today's question.
Why are electric cars so quiet?
To answer it, we auto-check out some vehicles in action.
Let's head down to the Brains on Body Shop.
The Brains on Body Shop?
Yeah.
Body shops are garages where people repair cars and trucks.
Follow me.
Whoa, it's noisy in here today.
You calling me noisy, Molly?
Well, if it isn't Iggy the delivery van.
Iggy, this is Asher.
Pleased to meet you, Asher.
What you doing on the pod today?
Talking trucks?
Yeah, we're exploring why electric cars are so quiet.
And why gas-powered cars like you make such a racket.
Racket?
No way.
We make music, baby.
Rumbly and rumbly.
I like it.
Like a lot of gas-powered cars and trucks on the road today, Iggy the Delivery Van has something called an internal combustion engine.
Or an engine powered by explosions.
My mother always told me, Iggy, you've got explosive energy.
Yes, but don't worry.
The explosions in vehicles like Iggy are very small and controlled.
Yeah, let me tell you how I work.
So first you fill up my tank at the gas station, then you turn me on and that gasoline gets piped from the tank to my engine.
Inside the engine are these strong metal cylinders.
They look like super tough, big cans of soda.
That's where the explosions happen.
The cylinders fill with gas and air.
Then there's a tiny spark inside the cylinder and kablooey, a small explosion happens.
That explosion pushes down on something called the piston.
The piston is inside of the cylinder and it's shaped like a thick hockey puck.
With each mini explosion, the puck-shaped piston gets pushed up and down and turns a metal arm around and round.
Which makes the car wheels turn.
Watch me roll.
Wait, wait, wait.
Not yet, Iggy.
The garage door is closed.
Oops.
Sorry.
Don't worry about it.
So, the explosions inside internal combustion engines keep trucks like Iggy moving.
But these kinds of engines are noisy.
Hey, being noisy ain't the worst thing in the world.
True.
The noise lets people know you're coming down the road.
But electric cars, they're known for being very quiet.
Yes, we are.
Ah, where did that other car come from?
Call me Electra.
Electra Sparks.
You snuck up on us, Electra.
That's because I'm electric, baby.
Instead of those noisy gas-burning engines, electric cars use batteries to make our wheels spin.
How does it work?
Well, when you plug in an electric car like me, electricity flows into my batteries.
That energy is stored in the electric car's battery until you need it, like charging a cell phone or a laptop computer.
Then when someone presses their foot down on your pedal to make you go, energy zooms out of the battery to your motor.
And that makes my wheels spin.
But unlike noisy combustion engines like Iggy's, my motor is super quiet.
That's because it runs on electricity, not explosions.
But humans are used to being able to hear vehicles on the road.
Noise does help people who are walking, visually impaired or on bikes notice when a vehicle is nearby.
And it can be dangerous if cars are silent because you can't hear them coming.
Yeah, Electra is a sneaky EV.
So I've got a lot of shush in my wish.
These days, electric cars usually play special sounds when they drive.
Didn't your designers give you sounds, Electra?
Oh, that's why I'm at the Brains On Body Shop today.
I need my signature sounds installed.
Then I'll be ready for the road.
That makes sense.
In 2019, the US and Europe passed laws that require automakers to put speakers on the outside of all new electric and hybrid vehicles.
These speakers play different sounds to help alert people that cars are nearby.
I bet you're going to sound so cool, Electra.
Aw, thanks.
Listeners.
If you want to learn more about the history of electric cars, our sister podcast Forever Ago has an episode all about it.
It's called It's Electric, The History of Electric Cars.
You can listen wherever you listen to Brains On.
Hey, wait a second, Molly.
Do you hear that?
Uh... It sounds like it's time for the... Mystery Sound.
Are you ready to guess a mystery sound, Asher?
Yeah.
All right.
Here it is.
Maybe like someone sledding down a hill, because it sounded kind of like snow compressing, like kind of like crunching.
I like that idea.
Let's hear it one more time.
Okay, what do you think now?
Same thoughts?
Different thoughts?
Yeah, I think I'm going to stick with that because I can't really think of anything else it could be.
Yeah, I have no idea either, so I'm going to guess...
Like a straw slurping up the remnants of a milkshake.
Probably because I'm very hungry right now.
That's what it sounded like to me.
Okay, we're going to play it again at the end of this episode.
Get another chance to guess and hear the answer.
So keep listening.
Hey friends, we've got an episode coming up all about skunks.
They're cute, they're cuddly, and they can stink.
But the stink is a defense mechanism.
That means it's a way for skunks to scare away animals that might hurt them, which is a pretty unique way to scare off your enemies.
If you could design a unique way to scare off animal enemies, what would it be?
Would you blow a bubble big enough to shield you?
Or summon the stench of gym socks?
Or let off a high-pitched shriek that summons neighborhood dogs?
Share your idea for a wild animal defense mechanism by going to brainson.org slash contact.
While you're there, you can also send us your drawings and questions.
And keep listening.
You're listening to Brains On.
I'm Asher.
And I'm Molly.
Today, we're exploring why electric cars are so quiet.
We learned that most cars on the road these days are powered by gas.
These cars have internal combustion engines, which use lots of tiny explosions to power them.
They can also be noisy.
Electric cars use energy stored in big batteries to help them move.
Because they don't have internal combustion engines, electric cars are much quieter.
To keep people on the road safe, car designers have to create sounds for electric cars to play while driving.
That way people know to look for them when crossing the street or walking past the driveway, for example.
And a lot of the sounds electric vehicles make are pretty cool, like this.
And this.
So we wanted to know, who's designing these awesome sounds?
And how do they decide which sounds to use?
Jay Kapadia is here with the answers.
He's the lead engineer and sound design specialist for General Motors.
Hi, Jay.
Hello, Jay.
Hi, Molly.
Hi, Asher.
I'm so happy to be with you guys today.
So, Jay, how did you get into designing sounds for cars?
I've always loved sound.
So as a kid, I played instruments and recorded weird noises on my cassette player.
Later I studied music and sound design and I realized cars were becoming more like computers on the wheels.
So I thought, wait, cars need a voice too.
So now I get to make those voices and sometimes even personalities.
It's like giving the car its own soundtrack.
What kind of sounds are you designing for electric vehicles?
Yeah, so we are working on all sorts of cool stuff.
There's the sound that comes from the car that helps people hear.
It called the Pedestrian Friendly Alert.
So then there are sounds inside, like when you start the car, shift gears, or press buttons.
So you know when you are in a car and the driver starts going really fast and you can hear the engine inside the car.
Well, with electric motors, that engine sound is really quiet.
And if you can't hear sound that matches the speed you are moving, it will make you feel carsick because your senses aren't aligned.
So we also design engine-like sounds that rise and fall as you speed up or slow down, like the car's own musical language that tells you how it's feeling.
Nice.
What do you think about when you're making these sounds?
So I think, what kind of character is this car?
Is it brave, sporty, calm?
Then I try to imagine what that character's voice would be.
So we use computers, microphones, synthesizers, and even real-world sound recordings.
So it's more about storytelling through sound, you know?
Yeah, that's really cool.
Are there rules you have to follow when you're designing the sounds?
Totally.
So there are safety rules, like the sound has to be loud enough for people to hear it outside.
And it can't be too scary or annoying.
And it has to work in every kind of weather as well.
So there are also design rules that it says that it should match the car's look and feel.
So a sporty car shouldn't sound like a sleepy turtle.
What's your favorite sound that you've made?
Oh, that's a fun one.
I'd love to make a car that sounds like a friendly robot dinosaur.
Imagine a low rumble mixed with chirps and a soft roar.
So I've been playing around with that sound.
It's not scary, just awesome, like a T-Rex with a big heart.
That's so cool.
And I'm wondering if you could walk us through, like one of the sounds you've made, the problem you were solving for and how what you made and how you made it.
Yeah, so you know, designing EV sounds for me is like being a DJ you know, a composer and a wizard all at once.
You know, we use something called a synthesizer.
It's like a magic paintbrush for sound.
So we mix together different frequencies.
That's like sound colors.
And also wave shapes, that's like the brush strokes to paint a sound picture.
So we think about what the car feels like, smooth, sporty, or friendly.
And then we turn that into the feeling into that sound.
And not necessarily we always use a synthesizer to create that, but we also use a lot of authentic natural instruments as well.
For example, to create the entire Cadillac signature sound We used an ancient Australian instrument called as the didgeridoo, which has some nice lower tones and frequencies which kind of calms everyone down.
That is so cool.
Do you think that car sound design will change in the future as more cars become electric?
Absolutely.
As more cars go electric, sound becomes even more important.
So we are not just copying old engine-ish sounds.
We are inventing brand new sonic worlds.
So one day maybe your car could sound like waves, wind, or even your favorite video game sounds.
Thanks for talking with us, Jay.
Thank you, Jay.
It's my pleasure.
Um, hey, Molly?
Oh, hi, Shannon.
Not a great time.
We're still taping the electric cars episode.
Yeah, I know.
Sorry about that.
Um, I was just going to rearrange my candy corn closet, and when I opened the door, do you know what washed out and covered me up to my waist?
I'm gonna guess candy corn?
Dream come true.
But no.
It was mail from listeners.
You know, drawings, mystery sound ideas, questions.
Molly, we've got to get this mail situation under control.
Stand back, Sandon.
I have the solution.
It's the Brains on Mailbag, where we pick a random piece of mail and answer it on the spot.
Sandon, do you have any pieces of mail with you?
Oh, yeah.
Here's one stuck to me.
Was it stuck to your jacket with candy corn?
Uh, hold on.
Let's see.
Yeah, definitely yes.
Okay, today's letter comes from John in Ann Arbor who sent in a joke.
Sandon, let's listen and you can respond.
Hi, my name is John and I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
And I have a joke for you.
Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?
Because it didn't have the guts.
Loved it.
And here's one for you, John.
What do you call a skeleton who rings your doorbell?
A dead ringer.
Those jokes were both rib splitters.
Listeners, we love getting mail and we want to hear from you.
So go to brainson.org to send us your questions about the show or maybe your own hilarious joke.
Or send us your idea for a new room in the Brainson headquarters.
Thanks.
Coming up, we're going to play a very noisy game show.
Rev up your engines and your ears.
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Thank you for keeping us strong.
Now, Asher, all this car talk has gotten me in the mood for... A car-themed game show?
Yes.
In this game we'll play two sounds and you have to guess which one is a car and which is from something you might find around your house.
Are you ready to play, Asher?
Yes.
Alrighty then, start your engine because here are your first two sounds.
Okay, that's sound one, and let's hear sound two.
All right, which one is the car?
I think it's sound two because it sounds like a tractor trailer.
So you said the second one and you are correct.
That was a car idling.
Very nice.
What do you think that first one was?
Let's hear it again.
I think it was like a dryer because it sounds kind of a little offset.
You have very good ears.
That was, however, a ceiling fan.
Oh, that makes sense because it would sound like air.
Similar movement to a dryer.
Okay, let's hear the next pair.
Here's sound number one.
Here's sound number two.
Whoa.
All right, which one do you think is a car?
I think it's second again because I never really heard the second one.
And also the first one sounds like exactly like a hairdryer.
Oof, my friend.
You are correct.
The second one was the sound of an electric Corvette.
So one of those cool electric car sounds.
And the first one was a hairdryer.
Yes.
Very, very good.
All right.
We have one more pair for you.
Here's the first one.
Okay, and then the second sound.
So which of those sounds was made by a car?
This one is tricky because they sound relatively alike.
Um...
Do you want to hear them again?
Sure.
Okay.
What do you think?
I think it's number one because it sounds kind of like a turn signal, and all the other ones have been number two.
You are totally correct.
That was a turn signal.
Do you have any thoughts about what the second one was?
No, I have no idea.
Yeah, that's a tricky one because it's a pocket watch.
Have you ever seen a pocket watch, Asher?
Yeah, I used to have like this red one.
Oh, you're a fancy person.
I love that you had a pocket watch.
Very good work, Asher.
You have excellent, excellent ears.
Thank you.
Speaking of sounds, what's making that one?
Electra sparks the electric car.
Electra, you got your new sounds installed.
And wow, they are unique.
Yes, I picked them myself.
Aren't they amazing?
They certainly are.
I'm pretty sure you'll never sneak up on anyone ever again.
Gas-powered cars use internal combustion engines.
These engines create lots of little explosions which help the wheels turn.
But these engines can be noisy.
Electric cars run on electricity, which charges up their batteries like how we charge a cell phone or a laptop computer.
Electric-powered motors are much quieter than gas engines.
So designers create special sounds for them to play so people can hear them coming.
And to keep everyone safe.
We had engineering help from Jason Reeve and Eric Romani, with sound design and original music by Mark Sanchez.
Our website design is by Ken Taborski at codeofthenorth.com.
Special thanks to Jeremy and Pamela Langell, Tobin, Aaron, and Paxton, and Eric Ringham.
Also, big shout out to Jasper de Kruyff for his research assistance.
Brains On is part of the Brains On universe.
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Head to brainsonorg.
While you're there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
All right, Asher, are you ready to listen to that mystery sound again?
Yes.
All right, here it is.
I'm trying to think of something besides a sled, because it doesn't really actually sound like snow crunching.
It sounds kind of like...
There was air moving over the sound thing, though.
So maybe it was like rocks falling into something.
Ooh, very nice.
In the game show, you got so many mystery sounds correct.
So, you know, this is just a cherry on top if you get it right, as far as I'm concerned.
Yeah.
I still have no idea.
I think I'm going to stick with my sled idea.
All right, and I'm going to stick with my milkshake idea because I'm still very hungry.
Let's hear the answer.
Hi, our names are Avery and Addison.
We're from Illinois.
That was the sound of a candle burning.
What?
Oh, it must have been like one of those, maybe wood candles or maybe a loud one, because I don't really notice a candle sound.
Me neither.
I wonder if it's one of those like sparky ones.
Have you seen those like special birthday candles that kind of give off sparks?
Yeah, it could have been a wood wick candle, like one with a wick that's made out of wood and it crackles.
Oh, I've never even seen one of those.
Now I'm going to be on the lookout.
Me too.
We'll be right back.
Thank you.
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And I'll see you next time.
Kingdom coming up next week octopuses, you might just hear somebody say do you by chance have any crabs?
Thanks for listening.
