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The driving comfort is an important factor for buying decisions. Especially for battery electric vehicles (BEV) the acoustic quality is an elementary distinguishing feature, since the masking of an internal combustion engine (ICE) is no longer present. Opposing the importance of the acoustic quality is the lack of knowledge of how to measure and interpret the high frequency noise generated by an electric powertrain with respect to the NVH behavior influencing the passengers [1, 2]. In this contribution a method for measuring and interpreting the transfer path of acoustic phenomena from the drivetrain of a battery electric vehicle into the passenger cabin is presented. Due to the lack of masking by the ICE in case of BEV, high frequency phenomena must be considered as well. In order to determine the airborne transfer function from the electric powertrain to the driver cabin, a dodecahedral speaker is used for reciprocal measurements.

With the electrification of vehicles, new questions and problems are rising in the field of NVH. The in-cabin noise was reduced significantly due to the new drive system. Additionally, the spectral composition of this noise changed dramatically. While the reduction of the in-cabin sound pressure levels is generally welcomed by customers and engineers alike, the predominantly high-pitched tonal sounds of the electrical drives are normally perceived with less enthusiasm. Active sound design can help both in masking those noises, or at the least embed them in new harmonic contexts so their annoyance can be reduced. A variety of research in the field of traffic psychology shows that acoustical feedback can alter the driving behavior. Based on this, our idea is, that if certain sounds induce specific reactions in drivers, a specifically designed active sound design could be used to influence said behavior.