Why Online Game Sound Designers Now Build Electric Car Sounds

Electric cars are quiet, and that turns out to be a design problem. At low speeds, pedestrians and cyclists cannot hear them coming. At high speeds, some drivers miss the audio feedback that tells them how fast they are going. Carmakers have responded by giving electric cars artificial sounds, and to design them, several have turned to people from an unexpected industry: video games.

I have owned electric cars since 2016, and I have listened to their sounds evolve from a faint hum to carefully composed soundscapes. Here is why game sound designers are now shaping how EVs sound.

Sounds required by law

Many regions now require electric and hybrid cars to emit a warning sound at low speeds. In the European Union, the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) rules require a sound up to about 20 km/h. In the United States, similar rules apply up to around 30 km/h. Above those speeds, tyre and wind noise are considered loud enough.

The regulations specify loudness and frequency ranges but leave the actual character of the sound to manufacturers. That freedom created an opportunity, and a challenge: how should a car sound when it no longer has an engine?

Why game designers are a good fit

Game sound designers specialise in exactly this kind of problem. They create sounds for vehicles, weapons and creatures that do not exist, making them believable, informative and pleasant to hear for hours. They are used to designing sounds that respond in real time to speed, load and acceleration, since that is how game engines work.

The tools are similar too. Game audio middleware like Wwise and FMOD is built for interactive sound that reacts to parameters, and some automotive sound teams use similar approaches. Composers with game and film backgrounds have worked on sounds for several major EV brands.

Designing a sound that informs

A good EV sound tells pedestrians where the car is and what it is doing. Designers make sounds that rise in pitch with speed, so listeners can judge whether the car is accelerating or slowing. They choose frequencies that carry well outdoors and are easy to locate, while avoiding harsh tones that irritate people living along busy streets.

Inside the car, many EVs offer optional driving sounds that respond to the accelerator. These are not required by law. They exist because some drivers find silence disorienting and want feedback about power and speed, much as players rely on audio in games.

Sound as brand identity

For carmakers, sound has become part of brand identity. A luxury brand might want a deep, refined hum. A sporty brand might want something futuristic and energetic. Without an engine to give each car a character, sound designers are building that character from scratch.

This is similar to how online games give each vehicle class or faction a recognisable audio signature. Players can often identify a vehicle by sound alone, and carmakers want the same recognition on the street.

Is artificial sound fake?

Some drivers and enthusiasts argue that artificial driving sounds are fake and that electric cars should be allowed to be quiet. I have some sympathy, especially for interior sounds played through speakers, which can feel like a costume.

But I think the criticism misses two points. External sounds are about safety, particularly for blind and partially sighted pedestrians, who campaigned for these rules. And interior sounds are almost always optional. Drivers who want silence can turn them off. Calling a carefully designed sound "fake" overlooks that engine noise itself was never designed for drivers' benefit. It was a by-product. EV sound gives designers a chance to create something informative on purpose.

Sound in electric racing games

The connection runs both ways. Racing games with electric cars face the same question of how to make near-silent cars sound exciting, as explained in how online game studios design racing games for electric cars. Some techniques developed for games, such as layering motor whine with designed textures, have found their way into real cars.

Testing these sounds is harder than it looks. A tone that sounds pleasant in a studio may be inaudible on a busy street or irritating in a quiet residential road at night. Designers record their sounds playing from real cars in different environments, measure how far they carry and run listening tests with pedestrians, including blind and partially sighted people. Game sound designers are used to this kind of iteration, since game audio is constantly tested in noisy, unpredictable situations where players must still pick out the sounds that matter.

What to listen for

Next time an electric car passes slowly, listen. You will hear a designed sound, often a soft, rising tone with layered textures. Inside, try the optional driving sound modes if your car has them, and see whether they change how you judge speed. The sound of electric driving is still being invented, and game designers are helping write it.

For more on how game technology is shaping cars, see how online game engines power modern car dashboards, and browse our Games section.