With the pivot to electric power, debates have raged for years around all kinds of aspects of electric vehicle ownership: how much range do you need? How long should it take to charge? How much should it cost? But one argument has raged fiercer than the rest: what should an electric vehicle sound like? Now, the owner of an EV-swapped Beetle has waded into the argument and attempted to settle it once and for all.
Because EVs don’t make much noise of their own, battery-powered cars around the world are required to emit a synthetic sound to alert pedestrians, cyclists and other road users to their presence. For as long as these synthetic sounds have been required, there have been arguments about them from almost every aspect of car culture.
Dodge tried to appeal to some with the raspy fake engine noise in its new electric muscle car and Fiat tried to please others with the subtle hum its 500 EV emits. Those solutions have, however, still angered many sides of the automotive fan club. A new solution to this age-old question has surfaced online and it might just be the best one yet.
Instead of resorting to a complex array of speakers and subwoofers to replicate the signature sound of the VW’s air-cooled engine, one owner has gone for a more practical sound effect with a gallon jug and some rope.
In a video shared by the OctaneRed YouTube channel, an electric Beetle is shown off with a sound generator of its own hidden in the frunk. The simple creation comprises a thick piece of rope with a knot on one end that’s hooked up to an electric motor. The motor spins the rope around and a plastic gallon jug is bolted alongside it so that the knot bashes into it with each rotation.
The simplicity is beautiful, as the empty jug lets out a satisfying put-put sound every time it’s hit. It’s a humble, yet genius, way to retain some of the personality that you might get with an original air-cooled Beetle.
If this is too rustic for you, then why not check out this four-figure sound system that promises to make your Mustang Mach-E sound like a real Mustang, or head here to listen to the kind of sounds OEMs are installing as standard.