The new sound system of Audi for improving audible pleasures for their e-tron vehicles may be a radical idea; however they say it is in best interest of pedestrian safety. The company currently shared with inhabitat an enhancement, which is been keeping under wraps, a new solution called “e-sound”, which helps pedestrians hear electric cars impending. The future e-tron electric vehicles of Audi are great for the environment and incredibly quiet, however their lack of sound is not great for pedestrians in town settings. For combating this issue, the automobile manufacturer has been working on a noise for recreating a non-electric vehicle’s generator.
Standard diesel and gasoline powered vehicles emit a sound from their powerplants, which is clearly heard, nevertheless hybrids and electric vehicles don’t have the same sound or even a sound at all, which can be heard by pedestrians that raises a problem for visually impaired pedestrians which rely solely on their hearing. To get rid of this problem, the company is designing and engineering a new synthetic sound signature for its new e-tron, electric powered vehicles. Mr. Rudolf Halbmeir and his team are using software and computers to mix and listen to tones. As per De. Lars Hinrichsen, data relating to electric generator’s rotational speed, loads, vehicle speed and other parameters is continuously supplied by the vehicle to the control unit.
The synthetic e-sound is played through a loudspeaker attached to the undercarriage of electric vehicle. Mr. Axel Brombach said that they developed and designed it for handling as much as 40W, but during normal operation it ranges between 5 and 8 watts, which is loud enough for nearby cyclists and pedestrians to hear the e-tron. The Audi R8 e-tron model shown in the image might not have the same exact sounds like the V10 and V8 powered R8 models, but at least the electric powered model will have a sound all its own. Audi, the Germany based leading luxury automobile manufacturing company snatched the 2nd biggest luxury automobile manufacturer’s spot from its arch competitor Mercedes Benz in India. MB India, which lost the top spot in Indian market to BMW in 2009, and now yet another German luxury automaker Audi, has outshined Mercedes Benz in the country. According to the current sales report published in Times of India, the company managed to market 2269 vehicles in India during the 2012’s 1st quarter, unlike 2130 models marketed by the luxury carmaker Mercedes Benz in the same period. Nevertheless, BMW India attained its top position by registering sales of 2369 vehicles in the first quarter of 2012.
Fascinatingly, Mercedes Benz was the original luxury automobile manufacturing company in India amongst these German automakers. While Audi and BMW brands were introduced in 2007 in India, Mercedes Benz has been operating in India for over a decade. Considering these sales numbers, Audi India seems right on track with its aim of becoming the biggest luxury vehicle manufacturing company by 2014 in India.
The Reason Behind the Dip in Mercedes Benz Sales
Certainty, when you look at the entry level Audi A4’s pricing, it is well more than the 40 lakhs mark, while the entry level Mercedes Benz C-Class comes at an on-road price of Rs. 36 to 37 lakhs in most of the metro regions in India, including Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. But, the corporate editions of entry level BMW X1 and 3 series cost just around Rs. 32 to 33 lakhs, and that is most of the corporate shoppers tend to pick the BMW over Audi and Mercedes Benz vehicles.
Alternatively, Audi is extremely happy with their performance in 2011, unlike the significant dip of more than 17 percent during March 2009.
