Ford Aims to Make Some Noise to Help Drivers Optimize Fuel Efficiency

Ford Motor Co. this month received a patent for a technology that makes small engines sound more powerful and prompts drivers to optimize gear shifts for increased fuel efficiency.

Noting that many drivers “shift by ear” rather than looking at the tachometer, Ford says drivers in vehicles with a manual transmission may not be shifting gears at the optimal time if an engine is too quiet. The situation is particularly noticeable in turbocharged engines with three cylinders or less that tend to reach peak torque levels at relatively low engine speeds, the carmaker says.

Under the new patent, Ford would use an acoustic device to mimic the noise of cylinders firing. Ford says that replaying the “virtual engine sounds” in the passenger compartment between the firing of the actual engine’s own cylinders could help a driver shift gears more effectively.