Tag Archives: IconicSounds Electric

BMW Recruits Hans Zimmer in Creation of New Electric Vehicle Sounds

You heard that right.

We’ve come a long way from the original strident tones of single-horn expletives, and the future is no less saturated with brilliant minds looking to put a new twist on an old concept.

Meet German-born composer Hans Zimmer; Zimmer intends to bring life to the whine of EV energy in ways that will have EV customers relaxed and smiling, and I am intrigued at his new job.

According to Visordown, BMW hired Zimmer in the hopes that the composer and the technicians of BMW would be able to work together to create a thrilling, emotion-evoking sound in equivalency to the M sport‘s motor. This is quite the challenge, especially since the full sensory experience may mean suppressing the original sounds of the battery and motor to allow a better connection between customer and vehicle.

“Right now,” Zimmer says, “we are at a really exciting point, shaping the sound of the future. BMW was so kind to give me another orchestra to play with – called the car.”

Partnership for BMW from left to right, Jens, thinner, senior Vice President of BMW, and BMW Sound Designer Renzo Vitale

Vintage Norton motorcycles owned by a group of Singapore enthusiasts

If you think about it, Zimmer could set a whole new trend with this partnership. EVs that thrum and roar in response to a nudge or a stomp of the ‘gas’ pedal could go over extremely well with users desiring the feel of horsepower without having to sacrifice fossil fuel to get it. The resultant sound portfolio – dubbed the ‘IconicSounds Electric Program’ – will initially only be available in BMW models that sport a fully electric or hybrid system, but one can dream, right? Imagine an e-motorcycle with special effects, roaring on the thoroughfares, drumrolls upon arrival to destination…snazzy.

The real question is if this program will be customizable (or even removable) for clients needing a more delicate sensory experience.

Take a look at the video at the top of this article to get the opinion of the masterminds behind BMW’s new ‘IconicSounds Electric Program.’

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com