Elon Musk said that he wants Tesla car owners to have their own custom horn and movement sounds in the future, including fart noises, goat sounds, and even coconuts.
According to Teslerati, the CEO's "coconuts" suggestion was a reference to King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In the film, King Arthur had an assistant named Patsy who used coconuts to imitate the sound of his absent steed.
& sounds too (also, of course) — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2019
While Musk's proposed noises sound farcical, there is a serious need for the addition of noisemakers to electric cars.
From September 2020, electric vehicles in the United States will be required to emit artificial noise when traveling under 18.6 miles per hour. This requirement allows for EVs to be much safer as they are noticeably more silent than internal combustion vehicles.
According to Electrek, Tesla had already begun adding artificial sounds to its Model 3 vehicles in September. Musk's tweet comes after the proposed new rule by the US National Highway Traffic Administration that allows drivers to customize their own vehicle noises.
However, the rules in Europe may prevent Tesla from introducing artificial sounds, as the EU only allows for sounds that are alike with cars powered by an internal combustion engine. Other than that, other noises, like what the Musk has suggested, aren't allowed. The EU rule applies in 2021.
The Tesla CEO's tweet obviously generated response from Twitter users suggesting other noises that the company's line of EVs could emit. One user suggested that Tesla should allow for custom sounds, which Musk said he'd consider, and another suggested rainforest sounds and jungle sounds.
In the US, car horn regulations are a bit more flexible, and regulations around it are somewhat loose. Rules vary from state to state, but one specification only entails for the car horn to be audible from 200 feet away and shouldn't be too loud to the point of being a reason for public disturbance. The sound shouldn't be similar to a whistle as well.
Now that electric vehicles are becoming a usual sight in roads, our old way of thinking regarding what our cars should look and sound like is being replaced as well.
Musk's suggestions are of course his humorous take on the situation, but hearing unusual noises in EVs may soon become a norm in the near future.
