Anyone else not like Rivian's sounds?

[M4H4X]

My pedestrian warning sound came in handy today. As I was getting ready to pull in my driveway I stopped as I noticed a rather young gentleman with a pair of dark sunglasses and a white cane feeling his way down the sidewalk in front of my house. He clearly heard the PWS as I was sitting still in the road and he motioned for me to pull into my driveway before he crossed.

And a few weeks ago someone who could clearly see and hear almost walked right into the front of my truck as I was creeping through a parking lot with his head buried in his phone. ?? He was quite startled.

And that’s my biggest gripe with the PWS. It’s not audible over any nearby traffic (like idling cars in a parking lot.)

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[mkhuffman]

The government mandated PWS is definitely a passionate issue for many people. I am in the "hate it" camp.

One of the big benefits of a BEV is how quiet it is, and the sound destroys that benefit IMO. I put a volume control on my PWS speaker in my Mach-E, and it is usually off. If I need it, like to warn the idiot on his mobile phone, I can turn it up. I have not had to do that yet.

It is so awesome backing out of my driveway with the windows down and only hearing the crunching of the tires on the leaves and pebbles.

 

[R1Tom]

I actually like all the sounds. But I also would love more options for each.

 

[iansriv]

Great, after reading that I’m gonna want to hit the restroom every time I use the turn signals.

It could be worse if there aren't any bathrooms nearby.

 

[touristboi]

very disturbing thing happened to me a couple months ago, 2 men (or women?) broke into my garage, jacked the truck up, removed the undershield, disconnected the pedestrian warning system, reinstalled the undershield and drove away.

I've been looking for them as they forgot their 10mm

 

[RivianTrackr]

I'm still not a huge fan of the turn signal sound but it has grown on me. Anytime someone new gets in the truck though, they are very confused by the sound.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Three in particular:

The govt mandated low speed sounds that sounds like an overheated fan/blower? Other EV manufacturers found sounds that weren't objectionable, I have no idea what Rivian was trying to do with their sound.

When the car locks, it chirps, but it does so at the same time as the door handles retract, so both sounds overlap, and the chirp is more like a screech. It actually kinda sounds broken?

The turn signal indicator is a pock-pock sound, really low volume, low frequency, can barely hear it at low speed, cannot at all hear it at highways speeds (lane changing).

Turn signal is a water drop. I dislike it as it's too quiet. I wouldn't mind it if it was louder.

I don't have any issues with my chirp, I've found myself on occasion thinking - wow that bird sounds just like my car...oh wait..it IS my car. I prefer the owl though.

Thee pedestrian warning sound - waterfall? I highly dislike it. I t sounds like a radiator fan being turned on full blast.

 

[emoore]

Turn signal is a water drop. I dislike it as it's too quiet. I wouldn't mind it if it was louder.

I don't have any issues with my chirp, I've found myself on occasion thinking - wow that bird sounds just like my car...oh wait..it IS my car. I prefer the owl though.

Thee pedestrian warning sound - waterfall? I highly dislike it. I t sounds like a radiator fan being turned on full blast.

I’m glad to hear the turn signal is quiet. The ones in my Toyotas are obnoxiously loud. I can barely hear the one in my GTI and I like it that way.

 

[SoCal Rob]

The government mandated PWS is definitely a passionate issue for many people. I am in the "hate it" camp.

One of the big benefits of a BEV is how quiet it is, and the sound destroys that benefit IMO. I put a volume control on my PWS speaker in my Mach-E, and it is usually off. If I need it, like to warn the idiot on his mobile phone, I can turn it up. I have not had to do that yet.

It is so awesome backing out of my driveway with the windows down and only hearing the crunching of the tires on the leaves and pebbles.

Back in the early 2000s a work friend was riding to lunch with me and he said something along the lines of, “Dude, why do you use your turn signal before changing lanes EVERY SINGLE TIME? I only use mine when I see other cars nearby.”

I just said, “I use mine for the cars I see AND the ones I somehow miss.”

If you’re signaling (visual or audible) only for people you KNOW are there eventually you may get it wrong.

 

[the long way downunder]

Three in particular:

The govt mandated low speed sounds that sounds like an overheated fan/blower? Other EV manufacturers found sounds that weren't objectionable, I have no idea what Rivian was trying to do with their sound.

When the car locks, it chirps, but it does so at the same time as the door handles retract, so both sounds overlap, and the chirp is more like a screech. It actually kinda sounds broken?

The turn signal indicator is a pock-pock sound, really low volume, low frequency, can barely hear it at low speed, cannot at all hear it at highways speeds (lane changing).

"Rivian really needs …" to have an off button for all the nannies, sounds, safeties … anything that starts with the premise that a software team in 2018 knows better than the driver in the moment.
The PWS is just ludicrous and brain dead when crawling off-road, maneuvering a trailer, parking in the garage at home at midnight. The little birdie chirp is humorous for the first day or two, then it's about as cool as a guy with a Lamborghini and the movie sound effect "car alarm locking" sound.

 

[C.R. Rivian]

The government mandated PWS is definitely a passionate issue for many people. I am in the "hate it" camp.

One of the big benefits of a BEV is how quiet it is, and the sound destroys that benefit IMO. I put a volume control on my PWS speaker in my Mach-E, and it is usually off. If I need it, like to warn the idiot on his mobile phone, I can turn it up. I have not had to do that yet.

It is so awesome backing out of my driveway with the windows down and only hearing the crunching of the tires on the leaves and pebbles.

Hope you have good liability and umbrella coverage. Modifying a mandated safety feature; risky, big time. Hope this never comes up for you, but the feature is there for the people you don't see who also don't hear you. Fingers crossed for you both...

 

[SoCal Rob]

Hope you have good liability and umbrella coverage. Modifying a mandated safety feature; risky, big time. Hope this never comes up for you, but the feature is there for the people you don't see who also don't hear you. Fingers crossed for you both...

That’s a good point. @mkhuffman , you may want to ask your insurance agent if you’re covered in that scenario, too: “Will I be covered if I intentionally alter the government-mandated Pedestrian Warning System on my EV and accidentally injure or kill a pedestrian?”

 

[Acoustic71]

Anyone else not like people who complain about Rivian's sounds?

 

[Bywaysmyways]

I"m in the minority, I like the sounds!

 

[Riviot]

My $.03 (inflation), I like all of the sounds.

@Rivian Please bring back the owl hoot, and IT BETTER GOBBLE NEXT WEEK.

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