Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining ground more recently. New powertrains like
electric and hybrid come with new noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) issues
previously unknown. A new approach to acoustic engineering is required to study
NVH issues in EVs. The two primary dominant sources in an internal combustion
engine (ICE) are engine noise due to combustion, and exhaust noise would not be
there for EVs. EVs are less noisy, but several motor or battery cooling noises
are encountered during design and validation. NVH is an indispensable part of
subsystem integration in the EV powertrain. This article deals with various
noise issues generally observed in EVs and their possible treatment to achieve
the comfort car, satisfying customer expectations. The NVH-related problems for
EVs are categorized into five categories: motor, wind, road, auxiliary, and
other noises like integration. A detailed study of each category/problem type
and NVH-suppression methods are discussed. The selection of powertrain mount
architecture and its impact on load transfer and crash performance are also
presented in this article. A balancing approach is required for NVH, durability,
and crash requirements.
