This is how the pedestrian warning sound of Tesla sounds

Elon Musk has already equipped his Tesla Model 3 with the pedestrian warning sound. Several owners have wanted to share with the online community the sound of the manufacturer’s affordable electric saloon.

Recent reports from the Tesla community suggest that the electric car maker has begun implementing a pedestrian warning device for its saloon, the Tesla Model 3. According to the reports, the speakers, which are designed to emit a sound while vehicles move at less than 25 km/h forward and in reverse, have been installed in Tesla Model 3 units built from 1 September 2019 onwards.

The update was shared by Trevor from the Tesla Owners Online group, who was recently informed by an owner of a Tesla Model S and a technician at Tesla about the recent changes to the Tesla Model 3. In a message, Trevor commented that the updates were related in an email to Tesla employees, which also included two sound clips with the forward and reverse sounds.

https://twitter.com/BLKMDL3/status/1173271923293212672

As can be heard in the samples that were reportedly shared in the Tesla email, the forward sound of the Tesla Model 3 appears to be mainly white noise. By comparison, the reverse sound of the Model 3 has a more science-fiction atmosphere reminiscent of the low, futuristic whine of the Porsche Taycan. The Tesla technician also commented that so far, only Model 3 units built since 1 September are equipped with the pedestrian noise generator, although the component will likely also be installed in the Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X in the near future. This should allow Tesla to equip its entire fleet with the noise generators before the NHTSA mandate on the feature comes into force next year.

https://twitter.com/D_Love/status/1173056296448352256

This is how the Tesla Model 3 pedestrian warning sound sounds

The rollout of Tesla’s pedestrian noise generator for its vehicles was prompted earlier this year after enthusiast owner Erik Strait discovered a speaker grille in his Model 3. The grille cutout, which appeared to be a speaker, was not present in the official parts catalogue at the time, although Strait noted that a Model S diagram from a few years ago also had a layout including a pedestrian noise generator labelled “Speaker Noise”.

The NHTSA mandate comes as a result of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, which requires electric vehicles to have an audible sound at speeds below 25 km/h to warn pedestrians of their presence. Implementation of the law was finalised in February last year, giving electric vehicle manufacturers until 1 September 2020 to fully comply with the mandate’s requirements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlThdr3O5Qo

It is not only the United States that requires electric cars to have an audible sound. Earlier this year, a new European Union regulation also came into force requiring electric car manufacturers to give their vehicles an audible sound at low speeds. As with the NHTSA mandate, the EU rule was implemented in response to concerns that electric vehicles were simply too quiet for the roads, making them a potential danger to pedestrian safety, such as people with visual impairments, who rely on sounds to detect the presence of vehicles on the road.

This is how the Tesla Model 3 sounds when driving forward:

https://soundcloud.com/user-434403776/tesla-model-3-noise-emitter-forward-sound

This is the sound the Tesla Model 3 emits when reverse is engaged:

https://soundcloud.com/user-434403776/tesla-model-3-noise-emitter-reverse-sound

Technical specifications of this car

SedanTesla Model 34 versions · from 36,990 €