Without the masking of a combustion engine, road noise is more prominent in electric vehicles (EVs) and has become the dominant source of noise for drivers and passengers, especially at low speeds. Road noise is present in almost all driving conditions; however, predicting road noise can be notoriously difficult and has become a critical issue for engineers working on EV noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

This white paper describes an innovative approach to road noise engineering using a virtual prototype assembly (VPA). This allows for predicting road noise earlier and throughout the vehicle development process without needing a physically assembled vehicle or prototype.