A unique modular audio system designed for electric vehicles has been launched at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, USA by Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America. The design of the company’s latest speakers is said to deliver high-quality audio while reducing the weight and the energy consumption of the overall system.
The patent-pending audio system is modular and scalable by design and uses the interior for sound calibration. Panasonic’s latest audio solution also includes a power saving EV audio option which reconfigures speaker placement for sound optimization.
Vehicle architecture is used to gain location advantage to direct sound at a high level, ensuring it reaches the listener as intended, instead of being lost within the vehicle’s interior as with traditionally door-mounted speakers.
Panasonic conducted a range of technical testing to ensure bass delivery, speaker location and sound tuning met or exceeded the performance thresholds of larger systems, providing listeners with excellent audio wherever an occupant may be seated within a vehicle.
Advantages of the newly designed system include a reduced number of speakers needed to deliver optimal sound performance across the cabin due to the mapping of the base audio system across the interior. By eliminating bulky door speakers, vehicle mass is lowered and more space is available in the cabin for occupants. Production efficiency is also increased.
Panasonic has also worked to improved acoustic performance, ensuring clean sound is delivered to occupants unlike with conventional systems which direct sound from the front or the bottom of the cabin.
The sustainable design of Panasonic’s EV audio delivers improved vehicle efficiency by reducing the overall power draw of the system. Power consumption can be reduced by up to 67% in vehicles fitted with the new system design, enabling additional vehicle range for drivers. Furthermore, the new audio solution uses reduced gauge wiring which weighs less than conventional wiring and also takes up less space. Additionally, the system uses lesser amounts of costly metals such as copper.
“In today’s market, the next generation of buyers, who are increasingly millennial and Gen Z, are looking for vehicles that both fit their lifestyle and, through well-crafted sound systems, offer enjoyable driving experiences,” said Andrew Poliak, CTO, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America. “Our innovative audio system design achieves several engineering feats by lowering the cost of operating an EV. We have reduced half of the power output you would find in traditional systems without compromising sound quality for the consumer.”
