If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to drive a spaceship to the grocery store, just ask Hyundai owners. A viral TikTok that’s been viewed more than 400,000 times captured the moment when a driver realized certain EV sounds are straight out of Star Trek.
The clip from creator Luco (@thelocoluco), shows him inside his own vehicle. The distinct ethereal sounds used by many Hyundai electric vehicles wash over him. Terror seems to mount as the EV sounds get louder and closer.
Hyundai EV, hybrid sounds become a symphony
Hyundai’s ghostly hybrid hum is just one voice in the growing chorus of EV sounds that are required by law. To keep pedestrians safe, especially people with visual impairments, the U.S. and other countries require electric and hybrid vehicles to make noise at low speeds. Without engine rumble, EVs are basically silent, which makes them a hazard in parking lots and crosswalks.
But automakers aren’t just slapping on a beep and calling it a day. They’re building full-on soundtracks.
Hyundai’s distinct whirring tone feels like something between a spaceship and an old-school sci-fi scanner, which is exactly the vibe many brands are chasing. Tesla owners have described their car’s external noise as a “spaceship hum,” while the company’s optional “Boombox Mode” lets drivers blast everything from fart sounds to Monty Python coconuts.
BMW took the EV sounds mission even further by hiring Hans Zimmer to compose its electric vehicle soundscape. You can sample BMW’s IconicSounds Electric or hear them in action on the road. The goal? Make acceleration feel like the build-up to a cinematic moment.
Luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz have also joined in, crafting their own “Silver Flow” EV sounds to make electric driving feel both powerful and smooth. Nissan’s melodic “Canto” sound was designed to complement urban soundscapes with rising and falling tones.
Online creators have questions
The TikTok that sparked this story isn’t an isolated moment—it’s part of a growing genre of videos where people are caught off guard by the strange noises coming from their EVs.
Drivers routinely film their first time hearing the synthetic engine roar of a Dodge Daytona, posting their confused reactions online. In one viral clip, a Tesla owner records the external speaker sounds. Meanwhile, TikTok has full threads of users commenting things like “Is my car possessed?” and “Why is it moaning?”
Even bystanders get in on the fun. Pedestrians have filmed EVs creeping past with haunting siren-like tones, while compilations like this EV pedestrian warning sound montage showcase just how surreal urban traffic is starting to sound.
And it’s not just confusion. Some TikTokers treat it like an ASMR experience, looping the hums and buzzes for relaxation. Others remix the sounds into beats and mashups, turning an automotive safety feature into an unexpected musical meme.
Viewers share confusion
Commenters on the clip were also struck by the incongruity of vehicles sounding like alien spaceships.
“To me it sounds like a portal has opened,” one wrote.
Another was feeling exactly like Luco: “LITERALLY ME TODAY I was so concerned looking into the sky & it was just a damn Hyundai”
And another was trying to piece together the logic of how the sounds are chosen. “It blows my mind that they had to come up with a sound to put into EVs bc they were so quiet and people were getting run over but they went with heaven elevator music,” they wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Luco via comment on the video, and to Hyundai via email.
@thelocoluco I’m being elevated to a new dimension #tesla #foryoupage #foryoupage ♬ Originalton – mibo
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