BUZZ KILLERS

Simulation tools help EV development teams tackle new challenges from noise, vibration and harshness.

Noise, Vibration and Harshness, the engineer's old nemeses, are among the new paradigms that electrification brings to vehicle development. The industry's success in mitigating NVH in IC-engine cars and trucks-resulting in fewer 11th-hour “band-aid” countermeasures-was achieved in the last decade with new tools and knowledge. Those gains, however, are now the baseline for tackling what NVH experts say are greater challenges inherent in electric vehicles and hybrids.

EV customers are not hiding their displeasure. A review of the “cabin noise” comments in online Tesla owners' forums from early 2020 reveal significant dissatisfaction in this important metric. Some examples: