Muscling up: Shaking Bose audio for GMC Hummer EV
Bose audio for the GMC Hummer EV will take the electric car experience to the next level.
Hummer has given a tantalising taste of how old school muscle car noise and vibration can be injected into a modern electric car – albeit with plenty of futuristic touches.
The upcoming GMC Hummer EV will be the first car to use Bose’s Electric Vehicle Sound Enhancement technology, which incorporates shaking seats to maximise the audio sensation.
As well as using the speakers positioned throughout the car, the EV Sound Enhancement tech also employs a vibrating seat to ramp up that visceral feeling of a powerful car.
Delving into the tech during the online 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) presentation, the lead development engineer for the GMC Hummer EV, Aaron Pfau, explained how the technology works.
It’s all about blasting off the line with maximum impact.
General Motors calls it Watts to Freedom, a core part of which is the noise and shaking that occurs at the same time.
“The double press of the traction control button triggers a request to acknowledge you are about to do something special,” explains Pfau of enabling the Watts to Freedom mode that uses the sound enhancement technology.
By confirming you want to activate Watts to Freedom the car lowers its air suspension system almost 50mm and primes the battery pack – which is up to 200kWh – by ensuring temperatures are “optimised in preparation for full power delivery”.
Remember, battery temps are crucial to an EV. Drive a Tesla hard on a race track and its batteries can overheat, in turning triggering the car to reduce power so as not to cause long term damage or degradation.
“The driver coach tells you to apply the brake as the seat and subwoofer starts to shake,” says Pfau.
Those sounds include tailored guitar riffs, high-frequency feedback and “inspiration from Formula E motorsports to communicate the sensation of power and torque that you’ve unlocked in Watts to Freedom”.
Bose says the “custom-engineered sound” – which is set to be available on other EVs in future – is designed to enhance the driving experience.
“Bose has created a technology solution designed for electrically powered vehicles, enabling carmakers to craft unique and compelling powertrain sounds for the in-cabin experience,” the US audio specialist explains on its website.
“Then you apply the accelerator and once you reach the required levels you let the brake go and hold on,” says Pfau.
Hummer EV to deliver supercar acceleration
The GMC Hummer EV is claimed to provide 1000 horspower – or about 745kW, which is roughly double that of a punchy turbocharger V8 – and blast to 60mph (96km/h) in about 3 seconds.
That’s supercar acceleration, which may explain why General Motors refers to the Hummer EV as a “supertruck”.
“It is a truly immersive sensory experience that brings you in direct contact with your vehicle.”
It’s certainly indicative of the efforts car makers are going to to ensure their electric vehicles step up the personality and character.
Porsche engineered some futuristic fake motor sounds into its Taycan, albeit with mixed success.
And BMW is employing Hollywood royalty to hone the sound of its electric cars.
Hummer EV promises precise off-road control
Pfau also went into more detail with some of the other tech that electric motors have made available in the GMC Hummer EV, which recently began prototype testing.
That includes Terrain mode, which is designed for slow-speed rock crawling and off-road driving.
“It combines the fine control of the immediate torque provided by the EV propulsion system and the friction brakes to deliver a level of modulation that is beyond anything you could deliver from a gas or diesel-powered vehicle,” he says.
Already, traditional 4WD manufacturers are raving about the potential of electric motors. Being able to modulate torque delivery so precisely promises to make off-roading that little bit easier.
