Noise emission assessment of a hybrid electric mid-size truck

In the attempt to improve urban environmental conditions, city or national incentives encourage the use of cleaner vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles. This paper explores the actual noise impact of this alternative drivetrain technology on the noise emission of a mid-size delivery truck powered by a parallel hybrid powertrain, compared with an equivalent internal combustion engine truck on the basis of pass-by noise measurements. It investigates jointly the overall emission, the main noise sources and the vertical directivity of the vehicle. The essential benefit results from the existence of a full-electric mode below 50 km/h, with a significant noise reduction which may exceed 8 dB(A) at low constant speed. Even if smaller, this noise advantage is still valuable when the vehicle is accelerating or braking. Due to weaker noise emitted upwards, the benefit should be even greater for residents living on upper building floors. The rolling noise associated with the drive wheel/road contact is the main noise source in all driving situations in electric mode, and beyond 50 km/h in the configurations with engine.