Psychological factors influencing the evaluation of electric vehicle interior noise

Abstract

Increasing global awareness of the benefits of electromobility has brought about the need for new concepts in terms of the acoustic design of future vehicle generations. This includes both the creative design process and the development of suitable methods for the subjective evaluation of target sounds. The main difference between e-car sound surveys and those carried out on familiar sound categories is the potential consumer's lack of experience with electric vehicles. Thus, the consumer has no, or very unspecific, expectations in this regard. Several studies have shown that many subjects have to construct their personal frame of reference for evaluation within the listening experiment. However, this is possibly at odds with experience-based expectations relating to sounds of conventional combustion engines. The result is a conflict of objectives between the traditional and the modern, familiarity and strangeness, and not least between driving freedom and ecological awareness. In this context, the authenticity of the sound and the subjective interpretability of the sound information also appear as moderator variables. Moreover, associations with other vehicle categories, for example, streetcars, also influence the perceived sound quality. Within this contribution, these factors will be expounded and their influence on the evaluation of interior noise discussed.

Interior Sound Quality Prediction of Pure Electric Vehicles Based on Transfer Path Synthesis

“…However, as the motor, electronic control components, and inverter units produce a large amount of annoying high-frequency noise, the noise waveform and spectral structure inside the vehicle are very different from those inside ICEVs, and the subjective evaluations of drivers and passengers significantly differ between the two types of vehicles [3,4]. Although PEVs are quieter than ICEVs, the subjective perceptions of the driver are unsatisfactory, and many interior sound quality (SQ) problems negatively affect the acoustics of PEV and reduce the comfort of the vehicle ride [5][6][7][8].…”

Sound Quality Estimation of Electric Vehicles Based on GA-BP Artificial Neural Networks

“…At present, the subjective SQ evaluation in EVs is carried out by organizing jury tests, where listening tests are conducted, and each sound sample is subjectively scored and evaluated [7,8]. However, listening tests are not only time-consuming, but they are also influenced by external interferences [9].…”