Η Ferrari has developed a system to create an authentic and enjoyable sound for its future electric supercars that will be directly related to the performance of the drivetrain, allowing drivers to hear a different engine roar depending on how they drive the car, sort of like a heat engine supercar.
Instead of playing simulated sound through a loudspeaker, as other car manufacturers have done, Cavallino chose this solution which should provide a more authentic sound. The company has done a lot of research to improve the dynamics of its future EVs, but has singled out EV sounds as a weakness. In the US they discovered a patent filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in which Ferrari engineers are trying to improve this problem.
Basically, Ferrari will extract the sounds from the electric motors and various drivetrain components by measuring the resonant frequencies of the engine, gearbox, differential and even the wheels, before amplifying these sounds with a resonator setting to create a sound correlated to the rotation of the electric motor.
With this technology, the Maranello-based company will add a so-called "sound current" to the electric motor's power supply at a frequency that does not interfere with the motor's operation. This sound current will create a distinct harmonic frequency or hum in the motor housing, corresponding to the speed of rotation of the motor. This noise can then be amplified by a resonator in the motor or transmission housing to create an actual drivetrain noise.
The resonator can be designed to produce exactly the sound that Ferrari deems appropriate for its applications and doesn't even need any additional hardware to work. The best part of this patent is that it is completely real, it goes up and down with the speed of the electric motor and also changes volume depending on the load on the engine. This mimics the current behavior of internal combustion engines, creating a real noise through which you can drive with your senses instead of constantly looking at gauges and computer readouts.
And, because the sound is created inside the electric motor, it stays true to Ferrari's ethos of authenticity. This system will not be applied to any current Ferrari model, but to the first all-electric Ferrari to be launched in 2025!
