Electrically powered cars like the Tesla seem to be all the rage these days, especially among those Green dedicated folks who are determined to see the end of the carbon producing combustion engine (how ironic that the first car ever built more than a century ago was powered by electricity). However, this doesn’t mean the Green crowd is willing to give up on the powerful sound that comes from their high-end audio systems and their love of a big, heavy, bass-thumping car subwoofer.
But according to the experts at Motortrend.com, the green, “eco-tastic,” power concerned, bass heavy-duty audio system aficionados will no longer enjoy the luxury of carting around big, heavy speaker magnets powered up by “zillion-watt” amps. That’s because weight is the nemesis of the contemporary electric car (although Tesla’s are considered to be a heavy vehicle). The more weight you pack into your vehicle, the more it affects its overall range.
Let’s face it, everyone who wants a green vehicle wants it to go farther than ever on a single charge. Why waste precious electricity to cart a lot of mass and by powering ridiculously loud stereo speakers and subwoofers?
Harmon International takes on this new green vehicle reality of driving around with terrific sound, but without all the weight. Here are just a few Green high-tech sound system solutions they’ve engineered for your EV.
Ecotect Enviro Sound
Says Motortrend, Harman International is already working on “energy efficient suits of products” that are being marketed under the trendy green name of “Ecotect.” The audio system is said to use a high-efficiency speaker/amplifier setup with a newly engineered booster amp that’s able to measure the voltage and the current draw of both your speakers, and do so instantly and simultaneously.
The system is said to calculate impedance in real-time. It also knows exactly how far the speaker cone is from the system magnet, allowing the amplifier to deliver as much or as little power the two speakers require given the amount of volume the user demands. In this way, the speakers are said to “work smarter, not harder.”
Upgradable Cloud Sound
You can future-proof your new EV car, or any car for that matter, with a new green stereo using cloud-connected services which are able to deliver smart, “over-the-air upgrades” to the entire sound system. This upgradable cloud sound implementation is now available on the car audio market. You’re ability to acquire it is only dependent upon your needs and budget.
Maybe you’re planning a road-trip to a live music concert or concerts, and you want your audio system to mimic exactly the live, on-stage sound. Or maybe you are dreaming about a live, jazz-club ambiance. The Upgradable Cloud Sound system can handle both and do so with less power and weight than traditional sound systems.
NatureScapes Immersion
Having partnered with the National Park Foundation, Harmon has created Immersive NatureScapes to make the natural sounds of your favorite national parks come alive inside your EV. Original recordings have been made inside famous parks like Mammoth Dome in Yosemite Falls.
There’s no better way for you to get away from the stress of heavy traffic or a busy morning commute by turning to the sound of real nature in its real environment. It creates a serene and calming environment right inside your electric car. You can even tune your system so that it plays the nature sounds over your favorite tunes, as if you were listening to music in the park.
Voice-Sensing Volume Fade
People tend to speak in more hushed tones when riding inside a quiet electric vehicle. However, when it comes to the high volume capability of a state-of-the-art sound system, you might find yourself shouting over the noise.
But with a new, high-tech Voice-Sensing Fade, built-in sensors are able to differentiate in-car communication from the blaring jamming. It’s able to adjust the stereo volume lower when conversation between driver and passengers is occurring. It automatically turns the volume back up again when the conversation pauses or ends altogether. In this manner, Voice-Sensing Volume Fade is said to act just like an old-fashioned radio DJ who is working sound-board sliders.
With new generation EVs able to travel more miles on a single charge, it’s inevitable that they are not only here to stay, but that they just might be the future of the automotive industry. But even if, in the end, they share the world’s driving stage with their older four-wheeled combustion brothers and sisters, lighter weight, higher-tech audio upgrades will be a much-welcomed Green addition to your vehicle’s audio system.
