As the EV market matures, consumers are more aware than ever of the variations in real-world range at different temperatures and different driving environments versus the official certification tests, according to Warwick Acoustics’ CEO Mike Grant. His company has developed patented electrostatic speakers that it says can reduce overall energy consumption by up to 5% in a premium EV. This could increase the real-world driving range of up to 20 mi (32 km) over the same vehicle using a conventional speaker system.

“We know from our work with multiple vehicle manufacturers that they are increasingly focused on reducing energy consumption in ancillary systems such as the climate control and audio systems to minimize consumer’s need to change their driving behavior with EVs,” he said. “Minimizing the difference between the brochure figure and real-world range is therefore vital for customer satisfaction.  Just adding more batteries to increase vehicle range is expensive and, in many cases, impractical. With many energy-saving efforts, the reduction in consumption comes with compromises.”

According to Warwick Acoustics, EV range is subject to many factors, of which outside temperature and vehicle speed have the highest impact. The estimated average range saving on a single charge of 20 mi is based on assumptions of a premium EV with a 100-kW·h battery rated at a WLTP consumption of 3.2 mi/kWh during urban driving in mild weather conditions, an audio system with 20 or more speakers, with over 50% of the time in journeys with the audio system on and at half volume level.

The company says that current official range tests like the WLTP by the EU and EPA test in the U.S. do not include audio system consumption, so its impact on the range is not included in the stated figures for an EV. EVs are typically driven for 80% of the time in urban areas.

By integrating the company’s electrostatic audio system, he says that the energy saving is equivalent to approximately £480 worth (5 kWh) of avoidable cost in additional battery pack capacity. The calculation assumes a battery pack cost of $115/kW·h, estimated by the Bloomberg NEF Annual Battery Price Survey from November 2024, and an exchange rate of £1.00 to $1.20.

Founded in 2002 as a spin-out of Warwick University’s School of Engineering, Warwick Acoustics came out of stealth in 2022 and is now headquartered at a new state-of-the-art facility at MIRA Technology Park, Warwickshire, in the heart of the UK’s automotive industry. It has assembled “a world-class team” with over 200 years of experience in technology and in-car audio sectors from brands such as Sony, Bose, Harman Automotive, Meridian Audio, McLaren Automotive, and JLR.

The company’s electrostatic panel technology was proven in its patented electrostatic luxury headphones that have earned over 40 awards worldwide. Now company execs want to bring a “revolution to in-car audio” by moving away from the traditional format of a speaker, the fundamental principles of which haven’t altered for nearly 100 years. They want to help drive the automotive industry on its journey toward lower greenhouse emissions while enhancing customer experiences based on sustainable technology.

Warwick Acoustics says it is the world’s first audio technology company to engineer electrostatic-based systems for automotive applications, reproducing immersive listening experiences for the premium in-car audio sector that deliver significant whole-vehicle benefits. It believes the multi-year development of the new technology is perfectly timed with OEMs’ transition to electrification and life cycle sustainability.

The technology offers automotive designers and engineers significant freedom over speaker and cabin integration. Unlike conventional speakers, its panels can be molded into many forms and incorporated into almost all interior surfaces of components like the dashboard, A-pillar, headrest, headlining, and front/rear doors. This can create additional space within interiors for passengers and enables greater interior design flexibility.

Warwick Acoustics says its panels can deliver speaker solutions for automakers looking to set key sustainability objectives to become carbon neutral. Its solution uses 100% by-mass upcycled and recyclable materials and does not use any unsustainable rare earth elements, which the company says that conventional speakers rely upon in the manufacturing process.

Warwick Acoustics will begin volume manufacturing automotive electrostatic audio systems this year, debuting with an as-yet-unannounced global, luxury, automotive company, making it the first car to feature this patented technology.