Propulsion sound

[RickMachE]

I would prefer the sound of mustangs at full gallop.

The original idea of the Borla system would have allowed hundreds of sounds.

From the website, October 2023:

"An unlimited number of additional sounds will be available via regular updates to the Borla app (to be released March 2024 or earlier). Including classic cars, 12-cylinder exotics, hot sport compacts and more."

And, "COMING SOON — EDIT & SHARE SOUNDS
The Borla Active Performance Sound™ System can be easily updated as more features are released. Including a special effects module that will allow you to modify sounds in your library, save them as presets, and even share your presets with other users."

None of this came to pass.

https://web.archive.org/web/2023101...ctive-performance-sound-for-electric-vehicles

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[NY_Cade69]

Must be nice to have a GT and only worry about sound. But honestly? You're right. My car sounds like a golf cart on steroids. Pedestrians don't hear me. I want people to know I'm coming. Give us the race truck sound. It's not just cool, it's safety.

A racetrack sound on a public street is an annoying nuisance (real or fake), the safety must come from alerting folks that an immature driver is craving attention.

 

[IgorKl]

I would prefer the sound of mustangs at full gallop.

that's why I wanted APP

 

[IgorKl]

Two different things - the federally mandate noise that emits at slow speed to warn pedestrians, and the internal fake engine noise that Ford provides in certain drive modes (almost inaudible).

The Borla solution, that they now call "Lite" (after failing to launch what they promised in 2022...) has 4 sounds. It's NOT a replacement for the pedestrian sound, it's to simulate engine sounds. Borla, before renaming it Lite, sold it for $1,606.99 on the promise of an app and the ability to add sounds like Tie Fighter and Jetsons. It never happened.

Those that were sold the $1,606.99 solution before it was renamed Lite and sold for $799.99, should probably be bringing a class action lawsuit. Borla has set dates and missed them more times than a famous person's "two weeks" predictions. They have been largely silent since their last FB post in June 2025, promising "really soon". They said summer, then SEMA, then end of year, then crickets...

For $500 this would be great fun with the app. We have been to a car show a few times, where participants lap a town. Every traffic light brings revving engines, and a few illegal burnouts. Nobody looks at our EVs. Imagine if you could broadcast a Tie Fighter noise that matched your revving, speed, etc. That would turn heads. You pull to the curb, and there is a line of people listening to you blab about EVs.

Borla has shown that this product is so far outside their wheelhouse it isn't funny. Even if it ever launches, it's already dead and buried.

Rick,
I installed for just 2 reasons:
1. it's nice feature for mix cars events. I already let to start my car one of the "no sound -no soul" guys and people around us were impressed.
2. busy parking lots - sometimes people ignoring standard reverse or low speed EV sounds.

 

[Adventureboy]

Jetsons.
Flinstones.

 

[corradoborg]

One of the best things about EVs is how quiet they are. I like that I can hold a conversation at normal room volume while travelling at 80 mph in my Mach-E. I understand (and support) the low-speed sounds for pedestrian safety. And I can appreciate the sound of a well-tuned V-8 (or even better, a Merlin V-12). But I will never understand the desire to intentionally add non-safety-related noise pollution to a machine that doesn't make such noise on its own. If you want to be heard coming and going, stick with ICE, where the soundtrack comes from actual machinery doing what it's supposed to do... not speakers playing a phony recorded sound.

 

[NY_Cade69]

++11 for the Jetsons...

 

[Bad Dolphin]

Hey hey
If Mr Ford is watching
Please give me more propulsion sound
The electric race truck sounds wonderful as does the Formula E cars. Please please
I want people to hear it. It’s a safety issue
The car is too quiet
Thank you please

Ya know, when we dumped our Tesla M3 for the 2024 Mach E GT, we loved the quiet of our first EV so that we "knew" we would turn off the "silly" fake engine sound. Except that when we got the car, we both loved it so it's still on! It would be fun if you could turn the volume up in Unbridled, for example...

 

[Ford_orr]

One of the best things about EVs is how quiet they are. I like that I can hold a conversation at normal room volume while travelling at 80 mph in my Mach-E. I understand (and support) the low-speed sounds for pedestrian safety. And I can appreciate the sound of a well-tuned V-8 (or even better, a Merlin V-12). But I will never understand the desire to intentionally add non-safety-related noise pollution to a machine that doesn't make such noise on its own. If you want to be heard coming and going, stick with ICE, where the soundtrack comes from actual machinery doing what it's supposed to do... not speakers playing a phony recorded sound.

^ This. Was going to write something similar. I'll admit, the total silence (other than wind and tire noise) was weird at first - for about five minutes. Now I can't imagine not having the silence. As you say, conversations can be had at normal decibels, my music isn't competing with engine noise so sounds great, and there's just a general feel of calmness in the cabin without the cacophony of an ICE vehicle's muiltitude of machinery. But hey, to each their own.

 

[bojesphob]

One of the best things about EVs is how quiet they are. I like that I can hold a conversation at normal room volume while travelling at 80 mph in my Mach-E. I understand (and support) the low-speed sounds for pedestrian safety. And I can appreciate the sound of a well-tuned V-8 (or even better, a Merlin V-12). But I will never understand the desire to intentionally add non-safety-related noise pollution to a machine that doesn't make such noise on its own. If you want to be heard coming and going, stick with ICE, where the soundtrack comes from actual machinery doing what it's supposed to do... not speakers playing a phony recorded sound.

Coming from an F150 Tremor with the V8, the noise at high speed with the engine, offroad tires, and wind was LOUD. Not as much outside of it but inside. Not to mention when it rained, there wasn't enough sound dampening on the roof and it sounded like rain on a tin roof. I do agree, the transition to nearly silent is awesome, especially as I get older and the genetic hearing problems I've likely inherited start to kick in. When I say I'd like to have the ability to choose a sound, it's for low speed to make sure pedestrians know I'm coming, especially when I'm in the downtown Cincinnati area where pedestrians are crazy when they can hear you coming! Having the ability to customize it would be a way to personalize the vehicle in a way that's not permanent and can be changed by someone else who might buy the car from you later. I liken it to when you hear another person's cell go off in public and it's one of the generic ringers, and 20 people all check their phone because they never bothered to change their ring tone. My cell rings and it's the theme from Battleblock Theater (a non-mainstream platform game I played with my daughter who was small when I was playing it). No one ever checks their phone when mine goes off LOL Anyhow, we all have that personalization desire with vehicles. Some people (oddly) put rubber ducks on their dashboards. Some put bumper stickers on. Some of us even get personalized plates. As long as it's not so loud that it bothers people in their house with their windows closed, or hurts people's ears, right? We'll leave that to the neighbors who bought their kid the 25 year old Chevy sedan that hasn't had a muffler in 10 years...

 

[mikomikomi]

When we were looking around at cars before ordering our Rally we had tried the charger daytona EV with their “fratsonic” exhaust. It was kinda fun and would be great for like car meets and stuff. It was kinda impressive it actually like made the car rumble.
However, i think i probably would have it off like 99% of the time and realistically its a silly feature.

I do find the propulsion sound helps with motion sickness for passengers especially ones new to EVs. I’ve heard the Rally mode makes it quite loud, not sure how much of a difference that is but could be fun when you’re actually doing some rally cross or something.

My partner wants the Borla, i said if they buy it i’ll let them put it on my car .

Personally, I think off the track the deafening sounds from cars is best described as anti social behaviour. Heck even tire noise is quite loud in a city. Ultimately i think an option to make some noise is cool when appropriate is fun and i get it. When i looked at the dodge i thought it would be stupid but it does put a smile on your face.

Let’s just not kid ourselves about safety. cars are loud in city/towns even EVs at lower speeds except maybe a parking lot.

 

[IgorKl]

When we were looking around at cars before ordering our Rally we had tried the charger daytona EV with their “fratsonic” exhaust. It was kinda fun and would be great for like car meets and stuff. It was kinda impressive it actually like made the car rumble.
However, i think i probably would have it off like 99% of the time and realistically its a silly feature.

I do find the propulsion sound helps with motion sickness for passengers especially ones new to EVs. I’ve heard the Rally mode makes it quite loud, not sure how much of a difference that is but could be fun when you’re actually doing some rally cross or something.

My partner wants the Borla, i said if they buy it i’ll let them put it on my car .

Personally, I think off the track the deafening sounds from cars is best described as anti social behaviour. Heck even tire noise is quite loud in a city. Ultimately i think an option to make some noise is cool when appropriate is fun and i get it. When i looked at the dodge i thought it would be stupid but it does put a smile on your face.

Let’s just not kid ourselves about safety. cars are loud in city/towns even EVs at lower speeds except maybe a parking lot.

If your partner decides to buy Borla please check compatibility. Borla kit doesn’t compatible with all MME production years.

 

[A2Z]

There are laws with very specific qualifications that the sound must meet. I strongly suspect many fun sounds wouldn’t apply.

Didn’t Tesla get in trouble many years ago for letting people choose fart sounds or some other asinine nonsense?

It’s a safety feature. If no one knows if a sound is from a car or not it won’t be doing its job.

I do not understand why Tesla would have gotten in trouble. If I heard a fart sound, I would immediately look around for a Tesla.

 

[Shepherd]

One of the best things about EVs is how quiet they are. I like that I can hold a conversation at normal room volume while travelling at 80 mph in my Mach-E. I understand (and support) the low-speed sounds for pedestrian safety.

I also enjoy the quiet interior. Quieter the better unless I am listening to music.

 

[corradoborg]

Coming from an F150 Tremor with the V8, the noise at high speed with the engine, offroad tires, and wind was LOUD. Not as much outside of it but inside. Not to mention when it rained, there wasn't enough sound dampening on the roof and it sounded like rain on a tin roof. I do agree, the transition to nearly silent is awesome, especially as I get older and the genetic hearing problems I've likely inherited start to kick in. When I say I'd like to have the ability to choose a sound, it's for low speed to make sure pedestrians know I'm coming, especially when I'm in the downtown Cincinnati area where pedestrians are crazy when they can hear you coming! Having the ability to customize it would be a way to personalize the vehicle in a way that's not permanent and can be changed by someone else who might buy the car from you later. I liken it to when you hear another person's cell go off in public and it's one of the generic ringers, and 20 people all check their phone because they never bothered to change their ring tone. My cell rings and it's the theme from Battleblock Theater (a non-mainstream platform game I played with my daughter who was small when I was playing it). No one ever checks their phone when mine goes off LOL Anyhow, we all have that personalization desire with vehicles. Some people (oddly) put rubber ducks on their dashboards. Some put bumper stickers on. Some of us even get personalized plates. As long as it's not so loud that it bothers people in their house with their windows closed, or hurts people's ears, right? We'll leave that to the neighbors who bought their kid the 25 year old Chevy sedan that hasn't had a muffler in 10 years...

Yeah, I wouldn't complain about the ability to change the low-speed warning sound, I guess. But I also don't see the need. It's a sound for others, not for me. The only time I hear it myself is when I have my window down and am driving under 20mph, so... at the drive-thru? At the beach where my brain automatically filters it out to listen to the surf?

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