Horsepower meets Hollywood: Hans Zimmer gives EVs a sound, or rather a voice?

When BMW began developing its new generation of electric vehicles, it faced a peculiar challenge: how do you give sound to something that doesn’t need it? The solution was as surprising as it was inspired - they called Hans Zimmer.

Zimmer, the Oscar-winning composer behind the soundtracks of Inception, Dune, and The Lion King, partnered with BMW’s sound designer and acoustic engineer Renzo Vitale to give the brand’s EVs a “voice.” But not just any sound. The aim was to create something emotive, futuristic, and unmistakably BMW.

Vitale, a trained pianist, physicist, and acoustician with a PhD in architectural acoustics, added a unique scientific-artistic lens to the collaboration. Drawing inspiration from visual artists like Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell, the duo composed sonic textures that build with acceleration, using auditory illusions like the Shepard tone to simulate infinite motion.

The result? A soft pulse that swells into a surge as you press the pedal. An EV that breathes as it drives. The emotional element that many feared electric cars would lose has now been reimagined as something beautiful - and deeply human.

Experience MONOLiT. A mesmerising audio-visual journey by visual artist Can Büyükberber. BMW iX’s futuristic design meets Hans Zimmer’s cinematic soundscape in a symphony of light, motion, and innovation:

Silent streets: the urban revolution we didn’t hear coming

The transformation isn’t just inside the cabin- it’s happening outside, across city blocks and suburban cul-de-sacs. As electric vehicles replace their noisier combustion counterparts, cities are undergoing a quiet revolution. Quite literally. Noise pollution, long associated with traffic, is being erased. Studies link chronic exposure to urban noise with increased risks of hypertension, sleep disorders, and even cognitive decline. In contrast, the introduction of EVs is significantly reducing ambient noise in residential zones, near schools, and along major commuter routes.

But there’s a caveat: too much silence can be a problem. Pedestrians and cyclists have come to rely on the auditory cues of approaching vehicles. Enter “acoustic vehicle alerting systems” (AVAS),a mandatory feature for all EVs sold in the EU since July 2019. These external speakers produce subtle, non-intrusive sounds when cars move at low speeds.

“The question isn’t whether we want cars to be silent. It’s whether we can make that silence meaningful and inclusive.” Says Dr.Erica Walker, urban acoustician and public health researcher at BrownUniversity

Walker’s work focuses on how urban sound scapes influence community well-being, especially in historically underserved neighbourhoods. She advocates for a holistic approach to city planning - where sound is as considered as sunlight, green space, and accessibility.

Urban planning in the EV era: designing for sound, space and serenity

This is where urban planners come in - not just to respond to changing transport modes, but to shape a future built around them.

Cities like Oslo, where over 80% of new car sales are electric, are already reimagining urban space. Car lanes are becoming pedestrian plazas. Parking structures are being converted into green rooftops and micro-mobility hubs. “Noise barriers” are being replaced with acoustic-friendly architecture.

Meanwhile, Amsterdam has committed to making its city center emission-free by 2030 - a move that directly impacts how streets are designed, how homes are ventilated, and how sound moves through the city.

“Electric vehicles are not just a cleaner way to get around. They’re a catalyst for rethinking how cities feel, sound, and flow.”
— Kate Wagner, architectural critic and urban sound researcher, known for McMansion Hell and her work with The Atlantic

Wagner points out that with the combustion engine no longer dominating soundscapes, planners are now able to foreground human-scale acoustics - the rustle of trees, the voices of children, the gentle hum of cycling traffic.

We’re moving from cities designed for machines to cities designed for people. And it sounds like progress.

A quiet future, one decibel at a time

·      2025: Most major carmakers (VW, Mercedes, Ford) to release EVs with brand-specific, sound-designed signatures.

·      2030:Amsterdam, Paris, and parts of London commit to zero-emission zones.

·      2035: EU bans sale of new internal combustion engine cars.

·      2040: Predicted tipping point - over 70% of city dwellers living in EV-prioritised environments, including noise-sensitive zoning and silent mobility corridors.

The shift to electric vehicles is often framed in technical terms: kilowatts, charging times, emissions. But beneath that data lies a sensory transformation. One that changes how we experience our cities, how we connect with our vehicles, and how we feel moving through space.

With artists, scientists, and city designers working hand in hand, the EV shift is becoming more than just a transport evolution. It’s an aesthetic one. An acoustic one. A cultural one.

And in this new age of movement, silence isn’t absence. It’s intention.

The future doesn’t roar - it resonates.