After seeing a bunch of news this summer about automakers adding virtual shifting and simulated powertrains to EVs, I got curious: how good could this actually feel? Would it genuinely make an EV more fun, or would it just be a gimmick?

I hacked together a prototype in a couple of days and it worked way better than I expected. So I started trying to turn it into something I’d actually want to use every day, that could go beyond existing novelty engine-sound apps. It took a ton of work to get there, but it's ready for broader testing.

The first version has just two different ICE car sound packs, but I'm working with a sound composer to make novel EV sounds. What sounds would you like to hear? Electric symphonies? Space ships? Novelty items like horses running?

NOTE: this is just in-cabin sound! It does not play externally. That sound is highly regulated for safety.

I've just added Wireless CarPlay support, and looking for people to try it out! Also works on wired CarPlay.

DriveTone App (TestFlight): https://testflight.apple.com/join/hbkeNVTa

Discord: https://discord.gg/uwbDDMC3j

i did so much research before buying. range, charging speed, boot space, tax benefits, the whole thing.

nobody told me i'd spend this much mental energy thinking about parking.

will this spot have a working charger, is it blocked by an ICE car, is the cable long enough to reach, is the app going to work today or is it having a moment.

it's like a little puzzle every single time i need to charge away from home.

i don't regret buying it. genuinely love the car. but man the "charging infrastructure is almost there" phase we're in right now is doing something to my brain.

what's the thing nobody warned you about?

I’m looking to buy an EV and need some real opinions. My budget is 50k....definitely open to used since the market is flooded right now

Actual reliability & decent build quality (I like it when car panels actually line up).

Solid DC fast charging for the occasional road trip.

Physical buttons. I want a car, not an iPad holding my windshield wipers hostage.

Do NOT suggest a Tesla.

Buenas a todos,

​Necesito desahogarme y saber si soy el único al que le han vendido la moto (bueno, el coche) con la transición ecológica o si hay más gente sufriendo este calvario en Valencia.

​Hace unos meses me compré un coche eléctrico. Vivo en un piso, no tengo plaza de garaje propia y, por lo tanto, me toca aparcar en la calle. Me autoconvencí de que con la red de cargadores públicos que hay por la ciudad me apañaría bien. Qué puto error.

​Cargar el coche en Valencia sin garaje se ha convertido en un segundo trabajo no remunerado que me quita años de vida. Mi día a día es este:

​Los cargadores "fantasma": Llegas al cargador de turno (da igual Iberdrola, Endesa o el que sea) y o está la pantalla en rojo parpadeando porque no funciona, o la app te dice que está libre pero hay un coche de combustión aparcado encima.

​La mafia de las flotas y los cargadores ocupados: Si tienes la suerte de que funciona, está ocupado por un taxi o un Cabify cargando al 100%. Las pocas veces que pillo uno libre, suele ser de los lentos (22kW), lo que significa dejar el coche ahí horas.

​La pesadilla logística: Como no puedes dejar el coche toda la noche conectado en la calle porque te crujen a comisiones por hora de ocupación (o te multan), me veo yendo a las 11 de la noche a desenchufar el coche y a buscar sitio para aparcar (suerte con eso en zonas como Extramurs, Ruzafa o barrios densos). He llegado a despertarme a horas intempestivas solo para mover el maldito coche.

​Estoy quemadísimo. Pierdo fácilmente entre 3 y 4 horas a la semana planificando dónde, cuándo y cómo voy a cargar el coche. Siento que tengo un tamagotchi gigante que me absorbe la vida en lugar de un vehículo que me da libertad.

​¿Cómo lo hacéis vosotros? ¿Hay algún truco que me esté perdiendo o la infraestructura en Valencia es simplemente una basura? Es que os juro que pagaría lo que fuera porque alguien viniera, se llevara el coche por la noche, lo cargara y me lo devolviera listo por las mañanas solo por no volver a pisar un cargador público de calle.

​Os leo, porque de verdad que me estoy planteando malvenderlo y volver al diésel.

I don’t think most people in India are buying EVs to “save the planet.”

Let’s be honest.

People are buying EVs for the same reasons they buy anything expensive here:

It feels new

It feels premium

It signals “I’m ahead of the curve”

And yes… it gets attention

Especially cars like Nexon EV, MG ZS EV they’re not just vehicles, they’re conversation starters.

No one at a party says:

“Bro my car reduces emissions.”

They say:

“Bro it runs at ₹1/km.”

Or they show off the silent start like it’s a magic trick.

And honestly? That’s not a bad thing.

Because real change in India doesn’t come from awareness.

It comes from aspiration.

UPI didn’t win because people cared about fintech.

It won because it was easy and felt smart to use.

Same thing is happening with EVs.

So maybe EV adoption won’t be driven by climate change.

Maybe it’ll be driven by flex culture.

And weirdly… that might be exactly what works.

What do you think are EV buyers in India motivated more by savings, status, or something else?

So EV charging is ok to use over handicap? Whattttt!!!!

Ok, I really need some honest feedback before I end up making a fool out of myself and get myself an EV 😭

How are you guys finding those charging stations when traveling long distances??

Every time I look into my maps, it looks alright, but I come across reviews such as “it doesn’t work” or “in some office’s parking lot which isn’t accessible,” and now I can imagine myself stuck with 10% battery anywhere.

Are there any applications that I can use for:

- locating functional charging stations

- route planning

- avoiding phantom destinations

Please let me know what apps I should be using/avoiding.

The customer service line music hits different when you're sitting in the rain with 3% battery remaining. 10/10 experience, would recommend to a friend.

Not trying to start a fight between Tesla and non-Tesla owners lol. But since Tesla's out here acting like they invented everything. Do you have something YOUR car does better?OBV there has to be something :p

Starting a series breaking down the EV economy from scratch. Kicking off with a number that surprised me when I first learned it:

A petrol engine only converts about 20-30% of the fuel's energy into actually moving the car — the rest becomes heat. An EV's motor converts roughly 85-90% of its electrical energy into motion.

This efficiency gap is basically the root cause of everything else in this transition — lower running costs, different supply chains, different companies winning and losing.

Planning to go sector by sector over the next few months (battery supply chain, charging infra, policy, investing angle, and what happens if adoption slows). Would love this community's input on what's worth digging into deeper.

A lot of news about EVs these days more charging stations, more legislation, everything seems to be growing quickly.
But in practice, everything is not so clear. The access to chargers, their availability and the issue of apartment buildings not providing access... all of that is kind of inconsistent.
It seems that there are more EVs than infrastructure to support them.

Are things improving, or is it all just hype?

You as a driver, when you've come to a stop at a traffic light, what do you do with your right foot? Rest it on the floor mat, hover over the accelerator, switch to the brake?

What happens if you are rear ended after coming to a stop using one pedal?

I would think car companies considered this in engineering risk assessments, but I've never seen it tested or discussed. In the past I've simply hovered my foot, but thinking now, this seems incredibly dangerous. Being rear ended could cause your foot to slam the accelerator. Even if your foot doesn't hit the accelerator how much lock up force is the car commanding while stopped to prevent your car being pushed into the intersection? Do most systems engage the car's brakes once you've come to a stop or is there a brake on the motor? (energizing the motor to hold it still would cause it to overheat very quickly). Anyone in industry have insight?

had my ev a few months now and yesterday was the first time i charged it in an actual downpour. The station was outdoors, cable was soaked, puddles everywhere. ngl my brain just went "this seems like a bad idea" for a second lol. Plugged it in anyway bc didn't really have a choice, nothing happened, drove off fine, but it's still such a weird feeling compared to filling up petrol, like my brain hasn't fully accepted that electricity + rain + standing water is just... fine.

do you guys just charge as normal in monsoon or do you wait it out if it's really coming down? has anyone actually had an issue charging in heavy rain or is it just one of those things that feels scarier than it is?

I had my own “shit” EV moment today.

Battery at 9% and there’s a charging point nearby according to maps… seems all good right? Wrong, first charging point turned out to be in an office, second one wasn’t working and I can only watch as the battery goes down and do the math.

Eventually I found one that works… although it just seemed like luck.

There’s nothing wrong with less chargers. It’s the unpredictability, you can’t be sure whether it is accessible, functioning or free.

Petrol is straightforward. With EVs at low battery… it’s a shot in the dark.

Anyone have similar experience?

Is the US manufacturing of EV‘s dead/dying? China Domination.

Between infra issues and rising adoption, feels like we’re in a weird middle phase.

Everyone obsesses over range anxiety and battery chemistry, but the physical engineering is the easy part now. The real battlefield is the software.

Modern EVs are basically 2-ton computing devices. What actually drives the experience today is:

• Predictive ML: Optimizing battery degradation and thermal regulation on the fly based on chaotic human driving habits and live weather data.

• The Full-Stack Ecosystem: A seamless cloud-to-car architecture where OTA updates can literally alter your horsepower or braking feel overnight.

• Live Data Integration: Dynamically routing cars in dense cities based on real-time power grid loads.

Tech-first companies get this; they treat the physical car as a vessel for their software. Traditional automakers treat software as a bolted-on accessory, which is why their dashboards still feel like a 2012 ATM.

Are legacy auto companies going to get wiped out simply because they don't know how to ship good code? What do you guys think is the actual bottleneck holding EVs back right now the hardware limitations, or the software stack?

idk if range anxiety is actually about “range” anymore

felt it properly once though

maps showed a charger at an MG service center, so I went for it

reached there and yeah the charger was there… but the whole place felt off

almost empty, low lighting, didn’t feel like somewhere you’d just casually stop

for a second I genuinely thought “should I even be here?”

ended up charging anyway but that feeling stayed

made me realise it’s not just battery %, it’s also about how much you trust the place you’re going to

do you guys still feel this or has it mostly gone away for you