While this is now quite an old story it really came to life at CES 2023, when I was lucky enough to attend Bose’s demo suite and have the chance to sit in one of few GMC Hummer EVs and experience what Bose’s Electric Vehicle Sound Enhancement (EVSE) technology can do.
EVSE is one of those technologies that is hard to understand the need for until you try it. As a long time EV driver and enthusiast, I appreciate the peaceful driving experience that an EV gives, enjoying the absence of engine noise that can be very draining, particularly on longer trips. So for me, adding engine sound back into a car seems quite ridiculous.
However, I am now a convert. I still don’t agree with adding noise for noise sake but there are applications where it makes sense and the Hummer EV demo showed 2 primary applications. Firstly was the use of EVSE in off road situations, where the driver is able to hear how much power the engine is using over rough terrain and replicate the feedback that an engine would give, thus making it easier and safer to drive over obstacles. The second application, which was great fun, was the “Watts to Freedom” mode where the Hummer EV operates in launch mode, accelerating from 0-60 in 3 seconds. Here EVSE is used to build tension before launch but also gives ques to the driver as to when the vehicle is ready. Without this, it would require guesswork from the driver as there would be no sound. This was probably my favourite demo of the whole of CES.
