I came across a story in the WSJ today which I found really curious. Apparently EV drivers are calling on manufacturers to bring back noisy engines, analogous to gasoline engines. Honestly I don’t know how popular this view is among the public but I chose to put down a few thoughts on the subject.
The story just keeps getting funnier. When EVs were introduced to the mainstream, one of their major selling points was how blissfully quiet they are. No engine roar, no exhaust rumble — just a smooth, nearly silent swish down the street. It felt futuristic, almost peaceful, as though cities might finally catch a break from the ceaseless growl of traffic. But now the pendulum is swinging back in the other direction: performance brands are cranking up the volume again, and this time it’s not even actual engine noise. It’s designer soundtracks, made by other sports car companies, occasionally with the help of Hollywood composers, that help to lend EVs the same emotional punch their customers are used to.
Honestly, I get the appeal. A big part of what makes driving a high performance car so exhilarating is the feel of it, and sound plays a large role in that. The growl of an engine can get your heart racing even before you press the gas pedal. And so if it turns out that a silent electric supercar leaves its driver craving something more, perhaps a judiciously designed soundscape is fair game. It’s like how video games have fake engine noise for immersion- not required for function but adds to the experience.
But there’s also something a little funny about the idea that we spend decades trying to take noise out of cars, and then we start putting it back in again artificially. We finally have vehicles that don’t need a roar to be genuinely thrilling — but instead of welcoming the sci-fi hush, we’re cobwebbing our silent dune buggies with digital vrooms to ease our nostalgia. Wonder if this is really driver enjoyment or just brand identity. Companies such as Ferrari have created a whole image around the sound of their engines, perhaps they are just trying to maintain that atmosphere even if it is different mechanics under the hood.
Either way, it’s going to be interesting (and likely a bit weird) to see how this all plays out when Ferrari launches its first electric model. Will it roar like a spaceship, or will it sound like a classic V12 in disguise? If we’re entering an electric future, let’s make it sound like one.
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