According to Mopar Insiders, the U.S.-based car giant wants its sportier electric vehicles to sound and shake like their gas-powered counterparts. The corresponding patent application has been recently submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization. The technology might make its debut on the new Dodge Challenger.
The feature is reportedly called Active Vibration System Enhancement (AVE). It uses a special built-in vibrator to make the car’s chassis or body tremble a little based on the current telemetry data (like acceleration, steering and so on). It also transmits the vibes to a number of key points like the steering wheel and the driver’s seat for maximum immersion.
The company hopes that introducing the system will make driving an electric sports car a more engaging and emotional experience. The patent application specifically mentions muscle cars, making us think that the AVE may have primarily been designed to imitate the behavior of cars equipped with large-volume V8s.
A standalone sound generator is also included in the system. Its goal is to produce a rapidly changing soundtrack in real time based on the acceleration and data from sensors.
Dodge plans to unveil its first battery-electric muscle car in early spring. It is expected to be a coupe called Charger Daytona EV. It may go on sale with a variety of powertrains to choose from, reaching as high as 912 PS (900 hp / 671 kW).