[Vinnl]

AFAIK, beyond a certain speed (~25km/h?), EVs make just as much noise as ICEs, since the noise is then mainly generated by the tyres hitting the road. So I'm somewhat sceptical about this claim.

Dutch city centres can be really crowded and yet actually quiet, because there are practically no cars. It's probably not Shenzen-level crowded, but I'd bet that the number of people that are being transported at busy locations isn't too far behind.

(As popular slogan is "cities aren't noisy, cars are noisy".)

[deaux]

There is no reason to be skeptical of this claim. ICEs are very noisy during acceleration. City traffic is very start-stop by its nature. Even in Dutch cities, even if you replace every single traffic light with a roundabout. EV engines are incredibly quiet when you put them next to each other.

In many cases, we're just very used to it especially because it's a "low rumbling" kind of noise. But it still affects us.

[dmpk2k]

While true (beyond 30-50km/h), that assumes that cars are driving at a steady state. Obviously, cities with much more stop-and-go require more revving of engines.

Acoustic tyres are also gradually becoming the norm, primarily with EVs. This cuts noise by several decibels.

So it's not an unreasonable claim per se.

[Vinnl]

That makes sense, thanks for updating my priors!

[Dumblydorr]

Source? That sounds dubious. Here in USA you hear blazing engines constantly, I’m skeptical a rubber tire is louder than that

[gman2093]

Not just bikes did collect some data for a youtube video here: (Skip to 13:03 for EVs specifically)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTV-wwszGw8

In summary, ICE vehicles are louder, but not by as much as you might guess.

[Vinnl]

The source is "I heard that somewhere", hence "AFAIK". It kinda matches my experience at least when I get closer to a highway, the noise I hear doesn't sound like engine noise anymore.

[Mawr]

Yeah, but you probably don't walk along a highway every day to get your groceries, do you. The closer the traffic gets to where people live, the lower the speed limit, and the more relevant the loudness of an engine.

Another factor is that an EV has a noise ceiling, whereas an ICE can get arbitrarily loud — think motorcycles, buses, trucks.

ICEs also use all of their noise range all the time — revving, accelerating. Sudden harsh noise changes like that are much more noticeable and annoying than the sound of a theoretical steady-state ICE engine.

[Vinnl]

Unfortunately the steady background noise of cars I do hear around my house (and thus where I get groceries) mostly comes from the highway. But you're right, in the city centre it's partially this quiet because it's about the farthest you can get from the highway.