The 2014 Cadillac ELR has an audio feature you can't hear, but that's a good thing. A new noise-cancelling feature works through the Bose speakers and tunes out background noise emanating from the car when it switches from the electric motor (which runs for about 35 miles) to the gas motor. The result: there's no added distraction to the driver when the engine roars.
The ELR will be the first luxury car from GM to offer battery-powered driving at normal speeds. It will debut early next year and uses the same technology that's in the Chevy Volt.
Noise cancellation is a well-known trick in audio circles. In noise-cancelling headphones, for example, the headphones "listen" for background noise and emit an opposing waveform that cancels out that audio stream. For the ELR, Cadillac uses three microphones mounted on the ceiling of the car. After you deplete the battery power, any noise emitted from the generator and powertrain will be cancelled out as you drive. The waveform is transmitted out of the Bose speakers and subwoofer in the car.
Like any tech innovation, the noise-canceling would not work at all if the car didn't have other sound-dampening features. The floor mats, dashboard, carpet, and even the windshield are all designed to work in tandem with the microphones and the speakers.
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