this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
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Always important to remember in this debate: electrification of transport is not just about carbon and climate. It's about public health, not to mention public sanity.
The filthy noisy combustion engine was never compatible with dense cities, which is where most people live these days. Anyone who has been to one of the few places in the world where urban transport has been completely electrified will testify to the difference it makes to be free of the internal combustion engine. It's night and day.
Let's not lose sight of the wood for the trees.
Motorway noise won't be reduced by electrification:
Graph: Car noise sources, ICE drivetrain with a notchy transmission.
The little table about cars and trucks compares the crossover speeds above which tyre noise surpasses drivetrain noise.
Meaning: The constant traffic roar in the suburbs will continue, because at dual carriageway speed, eliminating drivetrain noise has minuscule effect on total noise.
Urban planning won't be improved:
Heavy metal pollution will be reduced:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231012006942
Microplastic pollution will increase:
This is nitpicking.
My point was that electric cars, as a drop-in replacement for ICE cars, increase the quality of life in cities. And substantially.
Go to Shenzhen and you will see what I am talking about.
The overall energy issue is irrelevant to that. The motorway noise issue is irrelevant to that.
Also: the graph you post on particle pollution, with its title "far more particles", is misleading. It refers to tyres specifically. But particles also come from brakes and, of course, combustion. The overall increase is minimal, and very dependent on the speed of the vehicles - which can be reduced in cities.
Particles aside (it's an issue, yes), EVs emit zero gases. They are hugely quieter at lower speeds. The difference it makes in cities is big and real.
They will in slow speed zones. Motorcycles are the worst offenders
Surely, but the image you show depict 2 entirely different situations. Trying to compare them is dumb. It also has serious implications.
Sure. That's something, but not the only source of pollution.
I'm failing to see how the first image is relevant. Isnt that comparing cars and trucks, not electric and ICE?
[This comment is now included under the image in question]
The little table about cars and trucks compares the crossover speed above which tyre noise surpasses drivetrain noise.
Graph:
Car noise sources, ICE drivetrain with a notchy transmission.
Meaning:
The constant traffic roar in the suburbs will continue, because at dual carriageway speed, eliminating drivetrain noise has minuscule effect on total noise.
Thank you!
Are you some kind of source-posting diety? I submit myself for worship
I'm good at finding sources, not citing them properly.
I used to work at a university traffic research unit. I tried making a pedal-electric car but failed.
Luckily we have Podbike: (I like it, but the price)
They should invest more in design for manufacturability to improve quality-per-price ratio.
Cool! I do ride a custom ebike and always wanted a lie-down version for the aerodynamic advantage, but I honestly don't trust cars to notice such a low profile vehicle
I agree.
You wood say that, wouldn't you?
I wish my city would ban the loud sport cars.
They dont even have to be sport cars, they might just use a modified exhaust (you can add a thing at the end of it and you can make noise very very cheaply)...
What happened to just removing the muffler ? (Nothing. Nothing happened to that practice because I can still hear these mfs revving their shitty unmuffled scooters every day)
Are whistle tips making a comeback? Whoo whoo!!
And motorbikes.