Munich, Germany - BMW's new Concept i4 electric car features a ‘soundtrack’ by award-winning movie composer Hans Zimmer.
The sounds are to address concerns that the near-silent running of battery-powered vehicles makes driving feel soulless.
The German company’s i4 electric prototype previews a new sedan that will take on Elon Musk’s Tesla Model 3 in 2021.
BMW has recruited Mr Zimmer to create a suite of sounds for the vehicle, including start-up noises, acceleration tones and acoustic accompaniments to a door opening.
The film composer, who designed the tones alongside BMW’s sound engineer Renzo Vitale, won an Academy Award for his score for The Lion King. He also wrote the music to Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, and worked on the forthcoming 007 film No Time To Die.
Mr Zimmer launched his electric-drive soundtrack for the i4 on Tuesday and the sounds are set to be introduced as a standard feature worldwide from July.
The i4 will go into production next year as BMW’s first all-electric premium mid-size car.
Mr Zimmer said: "We have an extraordinary opportunity to turn electric driving in a BMW into a very special experience with the help of great sounds."
A company spokesman said: "It will imbue BMW’s electric models with extra emotional depth by connecting the driver with the vehicle’s character on another level through individual tones and sounds."
This is how BMW's 'IconicSounds Electric' sounds from the driver's seat of the Vision M-Next concept car under acceleration, complete with 'Boost' moment:
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