I'm fairly convinced that the reason internal combustion won - even though it would regularly break your wrist when you started it - was that it made loud noises.

Back then cars were a luxury, and if you're buying something flashy you want people to notice you. A gasoline engine sputtering down the road would draw far more attention than an electric motor, so people bought those.

[–] grandkaiser 30 points 5 days ago (1 children)

From an engineering standpoint, liquid fuels have a far greater energy-to-weight ratio than batteries. Some of the largest advancements in combustion engines for the purpose of conveyance were made during the world wars. Noise was something they actively fought against. Loud tanks are scary, but unexpected tanks are much scarier. If they really needed it to be loud, sirens exist (see: Jericho siren). The energy-to-weight problem is only now finally being solved via modern batteries using exotic materials and processes well outside of early 1900's technology.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod 13 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That's the textbook answer but I think mine is more fun.

[–] grandkaiser 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh certainly! I only felt the need to add the textbook answer because of the... Conspiratorial side of Lemmy that will happily believe misleading information as long as it confirms pre-existing biases.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It's too late, I've already accepted the other response as accurate gospel

[–] grandkaiser 3 points 4 days ago

😔

[–] ch00f 24 points 5 days ago

Fun to remember that Mr. Toad was a parody of all the dicks who drove cars.

[–] dejected_warp_core 6 points 4 days ago (2 children)

A gasoline engine sputtering down the road would draw far more attention than an electric motor, so people bought those.

They're still doing exactly this. ICE designs have never been quieter, but meanwhile Ford and GM are pumping out the L O U D E S T car options in decades.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I've said adoption of EVs by that crowd will only come when they start slapping very loud and aggressive VESS options onto them

[–] dejected_warp_core 1 points 4 days ago

The hardware is already there, someone just needs to mod/hack that in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle_warning_sounds

In fact, it looks like we were going to get custom sound effects but the DOT killed it:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/13/2022-14733/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-minimum-sound-requirements-for-hybrid-and-electric-vehicles

The agency has chosen not to adopt the remaining portions of the NPRM, including a proposal which would have allowed manufactures of hybrid and electric vehicles (HEVs) to install a number of driver-selectable pedestrian alert sounds in each HEV they manufacture.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

To be fair BMW and VAG/AUDI put factory pop and crackle modes (intentional over fueling/backfires) in their cars too.

[–] dejected_warp_core 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As someone who lives next to a road where this racket happens around the clock: screw those guys. I know there's an overall theme of car companies externalizing environmental impact to the general public, but it's like they went through a list and realized that "noise pollution" was worthy of a tad more exploitation. /rant

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Agreed. Harleys are waaaaaay fucking worse though, and most of them are de-catalyzed, so they’re fucking killing our lungs to.