Chevy Volt to get energy efficient Bose sound system

2009It’s obvious that car manufacturers working to provide consumers with environmentally friendly vehicles must deal with power, weight, and space constraints to make the next generation of automobiles a reality. What isn’t so obvious is that manufacturers of in car systems will also need to address these constraints, which is the reason Bose has been working on a new sound system that utilizes a proprietary design to produce a system that is 30% smaller, 40% lighter, and uses 50% less energy than conventional Bose sound systems, while still delivering premium, high-quality audio. Bose will debut its Energy Efficient Series sound system in the Chevy Volt, which is set to hit showrooms in 2011.

When designing the new system Bose engineers focused on three areas of technology: switching amplifiers, high motor force speakers and digital signal processing circuitry. For the new system Bose used switching amplifiers that use less energy and generate less heat than conventional linear amplifiers. Although they are small and lightweight, they are able to drive the new, highly efficient high motor force speakers to deliver the acoustic output of heavier conventional speakers. These components combine with Bose proprietary control circuitry to deliver sound reproduction at concert hall volumes, while reducing the system’s total power consumption by half.

It’s no doubt that a sound system is an integral part of any car, so it’s good to see that the next generation of electric vehicles won’t see their range cut in half just because you want to listen to a few tunes.

Darren Quick

Via: Bose, GM.