[teebot]

I also thought EVs would be quieter but as they became more common in my street I noticed they’re only a little quieter than internal combustion cars from the moment they reach a certain speed (say 30km/h).

Most of the noise comes from the tire friction and aerodynamics.

[fnordpiglet]

Urban core traffic is slow moving and dominated by engine noise. In fact it’s generally dominated by public transit noise - massive double length buses, of services - garbage trucks. Tire noise is more an issue for folks living next to high traffic thru routes.