Turn Off VESS (Virtual Engine Sound System)

Discussion in 'Hyundai Kona Electric' started by Boston Charger, May 30, 2019.

To remove this ad click here.

  1. DelRider

    DelRider Member

    We that's a drag (or at least, an impediment to a skilled designer). Although I dig the native VESS sound, I was hoping for speed sensitive switchable sound tracks that might include 'George Jetson's flying car' and 'Horse on Cobblestones'. One could have a whole lot of fun with that.
     
  2. To remove this ad click here.

  3. FloridaSun

    FloridaSun Well-Known Member

    I think that if the Kona Electric was a high production number car (which it is not at this point), aftermarket manufacturers may come up with a replacement VESS box that can give you different sounds and noises.. If it was less than $200, I may get it just for the fun of it.. I would use a loud dragster noise with lopey idle and then look at people's faces when they look at my car with the WTH look...:D
     
    Kitsilano, R P and Bugblndr like this.
  4. ehatch

    ehatch Active Member

    I am a fan of the 18 wheeler horn if forced to have VESS :) Great if the VESS is user configurable,so we can load mp3 to the VESS,connected to a CPU/hard drive/ECM.

    Hyundai is restricting availability to ZEV places.Otherwise I think its trio of 2019,2020 BEV CUVs could eat into the ICE equivalent orders globally. Especially with places like Norway, U.S.with its population.
     
  5. ehatch

    ehatch Active Member

    Tesla Model 3 now ships with their VESS.It sounds as bad as the Hyundai one,to me. The comments seem to reject the September 1 NHTSA requirement. Same arguments around pedestrians not paying attention anyways,and driver accountability to pay attention.
     
  6. Is it shut off optional/configurable?
     
  7. To remove this ad click here.

  8. Sounds almost exactly like the Hyundai one.
    A little more spaceship hovering like.

    Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
     
    ehatch likes this.
  9. SkookumPete

    SkookumPete Well-Known Member

    This feature, now mandatory in North America, was requested by organizations of blind people. It's to help them know what's going on around them. I don't think general safety has much to do with it. Sighted people are not listening and of course drivers are not going to assume that anyone in their path is aware.
     
    ehatch and Esprit1st like this.
  10. FloridaSun

    FloridaSun Well-Known Member

    I'm pretty sure that I'm ok with VESS disconnected as the law only takes effect in 2020 and if I ever get pulled over, I can show in my registration that my car is a 2019 and the law was not in effect. If you actually hit a pedestrian, it's usually your fault anyways, with or without VESS. It won't make a difference. You are liable for the accident victims medical bills etc. with or without VESS but not having VESS on on a pre-2020 car can't be an offense to get a ticket for.
    For example, if you have a pre 1968 car, you do not need seat belts in the US as they were only required by law in 1968..
     
    SkookumPete and ehatch like this.
  11. ehatch

    ehatch Active Member

    Someone's going to hack it,and either load their own mp3,or unplug it...
    @skookum ,there are luxury vehicles that are possibly more silent than a Kona EV, EV in general at low speeds.Especially with my hiss, squeak issue. I firmly believe it's the driver's duty to watch for the pedestrian,VESS isn't going to prevent out of cross walk usage collisions.
     
    Esprit1st likes this.
  12. To remove this ad click here.

  13. Its been hacked in the very least to indicate the VESS sound is electronically synthesized, so not a mp3 sound file. Someone would need to write code to generate another sound. I think its easier to just unplug it.
     
    ehatch likes this.
  14. For the time being unplugging seems to be the only solution available on Kona:(
     
    ehatch likes this.
  15. FloridaSun

    FloridaSun Well-Known Member

    I wonder if someone will come up with a aftermarket VESS box that has a choice of sounds..
    If I could play an MP3, it would be this one..it would catch pedestrians attention.

     
    Kamloops_KoNa and Domenick like this.
  16. ehatch

    ehatch Active Member

    @BlueKonaEV I would like the instrumental at the 50 second clip on loop
     
  17. FloridaSun

    FloridaSun Well-Known Member

    That's the part that I was thinking of... I'm not sure why but when I though of VESS sounds, that one came to mind.. Gotta love how he slaps that base..
     
  18. ericy

    ericy Well-Known Member

    I was thinking the Jetsons car sound might be a good option. While it would be funny for about a minute, it would get to be even more annoying than the sound they are actually using.
     
  19. Personally, I will not disconnect my VESS. Here's why:

    We have some construction going on near us and happens to be on the way to my free charging station. So I walk it often. Because of the construction, the sidewalk is currently closed on the side I reach first, and have to walk on that side of the street with my back to cars until I am able to cross over to the other side with a sidewalk. Cars come up (it is also on a hill) the street slowly because of the construction, and ICE cars can be clearly heard. Not so with electric cars unless it has a VESS. If I don't hear a car coming from behind me, I then look to cross. But if I didn't look (and maybe some people wouldn't, esp kids), they could walk right into the path of a car, if they didn't hear it coming. While walking there yesterday, and crossing the street, made me think of this thread.

    Another scenario might be in a parking lot, looking for an open spot. There are often people walking with their backs to an approaching car from behind. If they suddenly decided to cross, because they didn't hear you coming, would be an accident. Probably not fatal with the low speed, but still not pretty.

    So while I may not like the sound, I think I will leave it connected. In reality, unless my windows are open, barely hear it anyway, so doesn't bother me.
     
    Kitsilano and BC-Doc like this.
  20. Kitsilano

    Kitsilano Active Member

     
  21. Kitsilano

    Kitsilano Active Member

    I have a son who is a very active (competitive) cyclist. He and his friends have had several collisions with cars leading to broken bones, brain concussions, and even one fatality. When he learned that my new car had VESS he was very pleased. He says VESS reduces accidents.
     
    R P and Esprit1st like this.
  22. SkookumPete

    SkookumPete Well-Known Member

    Funnily I was just leaving our local EV event and trying to move past the EV-aware people chatting in the parking lot. No one heard the VESS and I ended up beeping the horn. They still didn't turn around! Maybe a siren?
     
    Kamloops_KoNa and ehatch like this.
  23. That shows you that they did not didn't hear it but were just ignoring it. There's nothing you can do about that.

    Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
     
    ehatch likes this.

Share This Page