Building new sounds for electric vehicles
By Jay Kapadia, Lead Sound Designer
2024-10-04
Electric vehicles are bringing new sounds to our streets. Have you ever wondered how engineers and designers compose these evolving soundscapes? Science has converged with safety to create a new automotive soundtrack.
Sound engineering for vehicles considers how sonic experiences are created, the role they play in vehicle safety and user interaction, and how they contribute to the identity of vehicles like Cadillac, Buick, GMC, and Chevrolet. Engineers and designers leverage sophisticated tools like digital audio workstations, synthesizers, and sound analytical software to sculpt the auditory experience down to the finest detail.
Cadillac LYRIQ
Luxury and comfort: For Cadillac, we communicate a sense of splendor yet familiarity for a sonic identity. These sounds include layered textures of major chords combined with low frequency tones.
GMC HUMMER EV
Engaging and bold: For GMC, the sounds must be proportional to the powerful torque of its electric vehicles. The sound design of the HUMMER EV is dynamic, confident and distorted like a loud electric guitar.
GMC HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV
Maximum Power: Across HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV models, drivers can experience the available Watts to Freedom1 launch and accelerate from 0-60 mph in approximately three seconds for the Pickup and 3.5 seconds for the SUV. Noise and vibration engineers created a low, rumbling trigger sound and then an acceleration sound as the supertruck engages in the maximum acceleration driving mode.
When this feature is engaged, a choreographed visual illuminates the LED dash, showing the HUMMER EV lowering and the torque and power building. The sound that accompanies the display is a combination of layered, synthesized sounds of a low and rumbling hum that signal that the HUMMER EV is preparing to activate Watts to Freedom.
Chevrolet Blazer EV SS
Performance: The Chevrolet Blazer EV SS will feature Wide Open Watts (WOW) Mode2, which when activated, enables acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds2. GM sound designers composed WOW mode to have a high frequency and low rumble, signifying the engagement of this advanced performance feature.
The journey of sound in vehicles
Vehicle sound engineering is not just about creating an automobile’s voice — it’s about curating an experience. This begins with the Sound Journey Map, an overarching guide that includes every sound input a driver or passenger might encounter. From the welcoming chime when you approach your vehicle to the reassuring clicks and notifications within the cabin, each sound plays a part in crafting the vehicle’s character.
With advancements in EV technology, the need for these diverse sounds has magnified, especially considering the near silence of EV operation. This poses a challenge for pedestrian safety, leading to the development of Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems (AVAS) that produce sounds proportional to the vehicle’s speed to help alert pedestrians.
GM is a pioneer in pedestrian alerting sounds for EVs. The engineers that developed the early Chevrolet Volt equipped the extended-range EV with AVAS technology in 2012, before any government requirements existed. By working with the National Federation of the Blind, GM’s sound engineers helped prioritize pedestrian safety.
From concept to cabin: The process of sound design
At GM, the creation of a vehicle’s sonic landscape involves a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, musicians, and sound quality experts working in concert. The process starts with conceptualization, where the team imagines a vehicle’s sound identity, considering the brand’s values, aesthetics, and the desired emotional response from users.
The sound design process is profoundly influenced by music theory, utilizing elements like major and minor chords to evoke specific feelings like pleasantness or caution. The propulsion sounds of an EV, for example, are carefully tuned to match the brand’s identity, from the luxurious aura of a Cadillac to the rugged demeanor of a GMC.
The intersection of sound engineering and vehicle design represents a new era in automotive development. With vehicles becoming more advanced, the role of sound will continue to expand, bringing new challenges and opportunities for engineers and designers. In a world where vehicles start to 
blend together in features and functions, sound offers a new dimension of differentiation.
As more GM EVs hit the market, be on the lookout for their unique maximum performance features.
About Jay Kapadia
Jay Kapadia became GM’s first-ever lead sound design engineer in 2017. He is now GM’s creative sound director, creating EV-specific sounds with an engineer’s brain and a musician’s heart.
A classically trained musician, electronics engineer, and wellness coach, Jay is GM’s creative sound director. He emigrated from Mumbai to New York City in 2008 to pursue a master’s degree in music technology, which led him to work in recording studios with some of the most iconic names in pop music.
At GM, Jay creates advanced sound design, working with a team of engineers to bring these sounds from concept to production electric vehicles. His work also extends to advanced technology, creating patents and coming up with the aural strategy for GM brands.
Music and wellness are among Jay’s greatest passions. Outside of work, Jay practices sound healing therapy and is a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra board of trustees.
1.Watts to Freedom is intended for use only on a closed course and should not be used on public roads. Read the vehicle Owner’s Manual for important feature limitations and information.
2.On a closed course only. Based on initial vehicle movement.
Electric vehicles are bringing new sounds to our streets. Have you ever wondered how engineers and designers compose these evolving soundscapes? Science has converged with safety to create a new automotive soundtrack.
Sound engineering for vehicles considers how sonic experiences are created, the role they play in vehicle safety and user interaction, and how they contribute to the identity of vehicles like Cadillac, Buick, GMC, and Chevrolet. Engineers and designers leverage sophisticated tools like digital audio workstations, synthesizers, and sound analytical software to sculpt the auditory experience down to the finest detail.
Luxury and comfort: For Cadillac, we communicate a sense of splendor yet familiarity for a sonic identity. These sounds include layered textures of major chords combined with low frequency tones.
Jay Kapadia and Michael Lebedintsev perform in-door pass by testing on the Cadillac LYRIQ
Engaging and bold: For GMC, the sounds must be proportional to the powerful torque of its electric vehicles. The sound design of the HUMMER EV is dynamic, confident and distorted like a loud electric guitar.
GMC HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV
Maximum Power: Across HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV models, drivers can experience the available Watts to Freedom1 launch and accelerate from 0-60 mph in approximately three seconds for the Pickup and 3.5 seconds for the SUV. Noise and vibration engineers created a low, rumbling trigger sound and then an acceleration sound as the supertruck engages in the maximum acceleration driving mode.
When this feature is engaged, a choreographed visual illuminates the LED dash, showing the HUMMER EV lowering and the torque and power building. The sound that accompanies the display is a combination of layered, synthesized sounds of a low and rumbling hum that signal that the HUMMER EV is preparing to activate Watts to Freedom.
Performance: The Chevrolet Blazer EV SS will feature Wide Open Watts (WOW) Mode2, which when activated, enables acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds2. GM sound designers composed WOW mode to have a high frequency and low rumble, signifying the engagement of this advanced performance feature.
The journey of sound in vehicles
Vehicle sound engineering is not just about creating an automobile’s voice — it’s about curating an experience. This begins with the Sound Journey Map, an overarching guide that includes every sound input a driver or passenger might encounter. From the welcoming chime when you approach your vehicle to the reassuring clicks and notifications within the cabin, each sound plays a part in crafting the vehicle’s character.
With advancements in EV technology, the need for these diverse sounds has magnified, especially considering the near silence of EV operation. This poses a challenge for pedestrian safety, leading to the development of Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems (AVAS) that produce sounds proportional to the vehicle’s speed to help alert pedestrians.
GM is a pioneer in pedestrian alerting sounds for EVs. The engineers that developed the early Chevrolet Volt equipped the extended-range EV with AVAS technology in 2012, before any government requirements existed. By working with the National Federation of the Blind, GM’s sound engineers helped prioritize pedestrian safety.
From concept to cabin: The process of sound design
At GM, the creation of a vehicle’s sonic landscape involves a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, musicians, and sound quality experts working in concert. The process starts with conceptualization, where the team imagines a vehicle’s sound identity, considering the brand’s values, aesthetics, and the desired emotional response from users.
The sound design process is profoundly influenced by music theory, utilizing elements like major and minor chords to evoke specific feelings like pleasantness or caution. The propulsion sounds of an EV, for example, are carefully tuned to match the brand’s identity, from the luxurious aura of a Cadillac to the rugged demeanor of a GMC.
The intersection of sound engineering and vehicle design represents a new era in automotive development. With vehicles becoming more advanced, the role of sound will continue to expand, bringing new challenges and opportunities for engineers and designers. In a world where vehicles start to blend together in features and functions, sound offers a new dimension of differentiation.
As more GM EVs hit the market, be on the lookout for their unique maximum performance features.
About Jay Kapadia
Jay Kapadia became GM’s first-ever lead sound design engineer in 2017. He is now GM’s creative sound director, creating EV-specific sounds with an engineer’s brain and a musician’s heart.
A classically trained musician, electronics engineer, and wellness coach, Jay is GM’s creative sound director. He emigrated from Mumbai to New York City in 2008 to pursue a master’s degree in music technology, which led him to work in recording studios with some of the most iconic names in pop music.
At GM, Jay creates advanced sound design, working with a team of engineers to bring these sounds from concept to production electric vehicles. His work also extends to advanced technology, creating patents and coming up with the aural strategy for GM brands.
Music and wellness are among Jay’s greatest passions. Outside of work, Jay practices sound healing therapy and is a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra board of trustees.
1.Watts to Freedom is intended for use only on a closed course and should not be used on public roads. Read the vehicle Owner’s Manual for important feature limitations and information.
2.On a closed course only. Based on initial vehicle movement.
