Scout Motors retained the sounds of 'real American cars' to recreate them in electric vehicles
American company Scout Motors, owned by Volkswagen Group, revealed some details about the 'sound design' of the upcoming Terra pickup and Traveler SUV. Don't dream of sounds from science fiction movies — these electric vehicles will sound like old-school models of American production.
What is known
Chris Benjamin, chief designer of Scout, said that the company's UX design team collected natural mechanical noises and ambient tones to create over 40 unique sounds for locks, turn signals, warning signals, and start sequences.
"We want all the sounds inside the car to feel authentic and unique to us," Benjamin said in an interview with Autonews at the Los Angeles Auto Show, adding that Scout does not aim for an absolutely quiet cabin, similar to a library.
Of course, the recorded sounds differ significantly from the real ones, but it is clear that the Scout team wants to do everything possible using the modern technologies at their disposal.
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra. Photo: Scout Motors
The team even brought a vintage International Harvester Scout with a V8 engine into an anechoic chamber and recorded the sounds in isolation.
The rough mechanical noises that could be heard in that model — from door latches to locks and the V8 engine itself — will also be present in the new Scout models.
Paying tribute to the brand's agricultural heritage, the team also visited Adairville, Kentucky. There they discovered a farm and recorded sounds of industrial agricultural equipment inside a grain warehouse. Other audio tracks for the electric vehicles were recorded using an acoustic guitar.
Interior of Scout Terra. Photo: Scout Motors
Scout states that its electric vehicles will not chase sterile, minimalist, and space-like interior elements. Yes, there is a digital dashboard and a large central screen, but there are also real knobs, switches, and buttons present.
Production of Scout Terra and Scout Traveler will begin in South Carolina in late 2027.
Source: Autonews
