Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust: Is it important?

Dodge released technology to manipulate sound of ICE engines into some of their EV, which at this time will be installed on the Dodge Charger. Dodge might think that it could be an interesting technology and satisfy users of EV cars who have become accustomed to sound of an engine.

Conceptually, this is a system that manipulates sound of a V8 engine on an EV, considering it doesn’t make any sound. I understand Dodge’s mindset; most people still can’t move on from sound of engine and that is one of the reasons ICE users doesn't want to switch, Dodge Charger is a muscle car, which is very far from an EV so it needed a sound, The idea is quite interesting and can actually be applied.

Dodge calls the system “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust." Basically, it is a speaker that is tuned in such a way that it can produce a V8-like engine sound. There are several options for that, where you can rev the engine and run like a normal V8 car.

The sound of an ICE engine is produced from exhaust gas released from the exhaust and finally produces a distinctive sound. An exhaust system collects the hot gases produced by the engine and directs them through a series of pipes, mufflers, and catalytic converters before releasing them into the atmosphere, so the sound is made by the exhaust gas.

And it seems that some manufacturers feel that way, so some offer aftermarket parts for that. They sell speakers that can produce engine sounds for EV cars, and the sounds are varied; you can imitate any engine sound in them, and maybe that is one way for ICE users who migrate to EVs to be able to remember or feel the sensation of the taste and sound of their old cars. Is that a bad idea? maybe.

Maybe you’ve heard of add-ons for motorcycles where some companies will sell speakers that can produce the sound of a big motorbike that you can install anywhere. The sound will not be like the original because the speaker cannot produce a high-pitched and vibrating sound like an ICE engine. You can tell right away that it’s just a toy or speaker and not the real thing.

It’s a useless step. The most important thing is that a speaker cannot produce a high-pitched sound produced by the pressure of exhaust gas that bursts through the exhaust. That’s what makes the exhaust sound interesting and pleasing to the ear; a speaker still can’t emulate that sound.

For example, in a V8 engine, the sound is pleasant to hear because it has two rows of four cylinders arranged in a V shape, and—in cross-plane crankshaft type rather than a flat-plane—these cylinders fire in an irregular pattern across the two rows. The exhaust gas pressure produced makes the exhaust sound distinctive and pleasant. The same thing happens in other engines that are capable of high revving; just imagine exhaust gas coming out of the exhaust, where it produces a sound. It’s like a high-voiced tenor singer that you usually see in opera.

EVs can’t emulate that much alone. The most important thing is the “breath” of a system that doesn’t exist. The speaker can produce sound, but not with that high tone. If it could, the deep bass that is usually produced by ICE exhaust also can’t be duplicated because EVs don’t produce exhaust gas to begin with, so the sound also won’t be duplicated.

Can an EV produce sound like an ICE with just speakers? Maybe it is possible, but the main problem is that engineers have to make compact speakers that can produce loud and deep bass when the car is driven and also create pressure or air from the system. I suppose our technology has not reached that point yet.

Is it a necessary step? I doubt it; I don’t think EVs need to be fitted with such a sound generator, especially if there are no performance gains to be had. It is an attractive option for those who still miss the sound of the engine, but it is not important. I suppose there are still many things that need to be fixed, rather than installing a fake exhaust.

It’s more of a gimmick than a real function; the speakers won’t add any performance or anything to the vehicle, and they are purely aesthetic. Tesla, as one of the big EV companies, doesn’t put them on their cars, and I understand why; it’s just something that’s not important and doesn’t need to be there. People who use EVs usually don’t really care about engine noise.

Fortunately, Dodge understands this, and they don’t provide their Fratzonic system permanently. You can disable it if you don’t need it. Maybe they themselves were not sure about this idea at first, even though they ended up installing it on their vehicles.

But in this case, I think Dodge just showed that they can make speakers for their EV, and it’s not the first time. Ferrari also plans to make speakers that can produce V engine sounds from their EV, although until now it is still a prototype and the finished product has not been released. But what is clear is that it is not something that is needed in an EV unless the level of similarity is close to the original. As long as that has not happened, it will only be a gimmick and will not be an important feature. I hope this will only be an optional or aftermarket feature.