Luxury development of electric vehicles in this round has resulted in convergence towards the traditional advantages of conventional players in various directions.
Overall, as electric vehicles are inherently quieter, solving the motor whine, China’s indigenous high-end pure electric vehicle products have improved the NVH performance of the entire vehicle, with a focus on acoustics and audio. A report from Mainland China called “The New Speakerless Audio Experience Disruptive, Immersive, Impressive” has been inspiring. Logically speaking, firstly, the acoustic package of pure electric vehicles is relatively simple and can achieve perfection at low cost. Secondly, with the reduction of differences in various aspects of pure electric vehicles, there is a lot of room for improvement in seating comfort, damping, and acoustics (sound system). I believe that except for players like Apple who possess acoustic development capabilities, other whole vehicle companies do not have the ability to lay out in this area, so this field is worth investing in.
With the development of algorithms such as cockpit rolling, and control of horn partitioning, there is significant value space to be explored in acoustics itself, which also fits the characteristics of a component with growth potential.
What Is NVH? Superior Audio Results When Done Right
NVH refers to Noise, Vibration and Harshness. For automobiles, a simple principle often leads to a complex engineering process. Noise, vibration, and harshness are the three major challenges that affect the quality of luxury cars.
Road noise and tire cavity noise are generated inside the tire as air pressure builds up, creating a closed chamber that produces particularly strong noise and vibration at certain frequencies, usually around 200Hz, which easily affects the occupants inside the car.
for high-end consumer products, sound absorbing cotton can usually be added to the inside of the tires. The filling of the sound-absorbing material in the cavity of the tire can be used to optimize tire noise when the vehicle is being driven. The fine pore structure of the sound-absorbing cotton can effectively reduce the energy of the sound waves when they pass through it.
Controlled flow resistance sound absorbing materials can also be applied to product interiors, which can adjust the sound absorption coefficient of the sound-absorbing cotton and improve its ability to absorb high-frequency noise to a certain extent.
In addition to these, the unique problems of NVH in electric vehicles need to solve the noise of the motor whine. Usually, the motor can be wrapped in a package, and another approach is to arrange sound-absorbing materials on the surface of the electric drive system cover plate, and wrap the key points of noise transmission with sound-absorbing materials.
If we break down the cumulative sales of new energy vehicles in 2021 according to the main models and brands, it would look something like the following chart. Renault is ranked first, followed closely by Tesla and Peugeot.
Solving Problems by Execution Systems
Next, let’s take a look at the mainland’s concept of “destructive innovation” and whether it’s powerful or not.
Using more speakers to bring overall effects to the vehicle, General Carraid achieved 36 speakers.
Looking at the speaker size, it has decreased from 16cm to 10cm. The space available for speakers in the entire vehicle has also decreased, and the requirement for speaker placement on seats has been reduced in vehicle layout.
As for the specific disassembly of this Actuator, we may have to wait for the model to come out. However, I think this new approach is particularly well-suited to the current trend towards high-end pure electric vehicles.
In summary, in terms of acoustics, I personally think that electric vehicles can accelerate towards higher-end development. Overall, with companies like Harman decoupling the cabin and entertainment audio systems, it also offers opportunities for companies that focus solely on audio.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.