Features
15 oct 18

No spacecraft sound for Jaguar I-Pace

With no engine sound, the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace requires a new way to warn blind and visually impaired road users it is approaching at low speed. That’s why Jaguar engineers have designed an Audible Vehicle Alert System (AVAS).

Read the Fleet Europe review of the Jaguar I-Pace

The noise is emitted by a single speaker tucked inside the front grille and is audible from every angle.

Jaguar’s engineers worked for four years to develop a soundtrack that is audible yet discreet and cannot be heard from inside the vehicle. Initial attempts to create a noise inspired by the sound of sci-fi spacecraft had to be shelved after pedestrians reacted by looking up to the sky, rather than at the road, as the vehicle approached.

The sound can be heard at speeds up to 20km/h and exceeds the 56dB(A) minimum required by forthcoming European legislation for all new EVs from July 2019. The alert increases in pitch and volume in line with the speed of the vehicle and, when in reverse, is accompanied by an additional tone that indicates the change in direction. AVAS is not required at higher speeds as there is sufficient wind and tyre noise for pedestrians to hear the vehicle approaching.

The I-Pace’s sound was tested by members of Guide Dogs for the Blind, a UK charity.

Image source: Jaguar

 

Authored by: Benjamin Uyttebroeck