I Want My GMC Sierra EV to Play Elvis Instead of the Stock 'Galactic' Pedestrian Warning Sounds - Is This Even Possible?

Let’s be honest, modern EVs are weird. They whisper instead of growl, they accelerate like roller coasters, and at low speeds, they produce sounds that range from spaceship hums to haunted-house chimes. The 2024 GMC Sierra EV is no exception, greeting pedestrians with an eerie, sci-fi-inspired audio signature that makes it sound less like a truck and more like the intro to a Tron reboot.

Why It’s Needed

It’s a necessary evil, thanks to federal safety mandates, but some owners are already asking the important questions: Why does my truck sound like an alien abduction? And more importantly, can I swap it out for Elvis?

That second question comes straight from the GMC Sierra EV Group on Facebook, where owner Mel Coleman posted:

“So these GM EV’s play music/galactic sounds at slow speeds and I get why. Is there a way to change what it plays? Like Elvis Jailhouse Rock 😂?”

Now, setting aside the fact that the thought of a 9,000-pound electric truck rolling through a Target parking lot while belting out The warden threw a party in the county jail… is objectively hilarious, there’s a deeper issue here. EV owners aren’t just looking for customization—they’re trying to reclaim some kind of automotive identity in a world where everything is increasingly dictated by regulation and software updates. And GM, for all its technological prowess, isn’t exactly handing out the keys to let owners tweak these mandated noises.

Why Do These Sounds Exist at All?

Like many oddities in modern cars, this one comes courtesy of government intervention. In 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandated that all EVs must emit artificial sounds at speeds under 19 mph to prevent pedestrians—especially those who are visually impaired, from being taken out by a silent, fast-moving vehicle.

The regulation requires that these sounds meet a minimum loudness threshold of 67 decibels. That’s roughly as loud as an air conditioner or a conversation in a busy restaurant, not exactly deafening, but enough to be noticed.

The GMC Ultium Platform

• The GMC Sierra EV is built on GM’s Ultium platform, which enables versatile configurations, including rear-wheel and all-wheel drive—to deliver strong performance, impressive torque, and an extended driving range ideal for both work and recreation.
• Its design combines the rugged heritage of a traditional pickup with modern, aerodynamic styling, featuring bold lines and innovative details that not only enhance efficiency but also set it apart in the electric truck market.
• Loaded with advanced connectivity, driver assistance, and safety features, the Sierra EV offers exceptional towing and payload capabilities while providing a smooth, responsive driving experience for long-haul trips and everyday utility.

GM, like most automakers, took this requirement and ran with it, opting for an ambient, galactic tone that sounds like something you’d hear while docking a spaceship. It’s functional, sure, but it’s also entirely devoid of personality. Hyundai, at least, lets Ioniq 5 owners pick between four different sounds. Tesla has its infamous Boombox mode, which (until regulators shut it down) allowed owners to blast anything from goat noises to La Cucaracha. But GM? They’ve locked it down. No choices, no custom sounds, just the factory-set hum of the future.

Of Course, Some Owners Are Disabling It

Because this is the internet, it didn’t take long for other Sierra EV owners to chime in. One, Leandro Nesi, proudly admitted:

“I got a kit to silence the exterior low-speed speakers and I couldn’t be more happy about it.”

That’s the perfect encapsulation of a certain breed of EV owner—the kind that loves the idea of a whisper-quiet, high-tech machine and wants nothing to do with regulatory-mandated sound effects. But as another user, Luc Woolsey, was quick to point out:

“Bruce Guckert be aware that if you are ever in an accident, even if it wasn’t your fault… You will never financially recover from the hell that will come down on you when it’s determined that you willfully disabled the mandatory pedestrian warning system.”

And he’s not wrong. Disabling an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) might seem like harmless fun until you end up in a courtroom, trying to explain to a judge why your 9,000-pound EV wasn’t making any noise when it ran over someone’s AirPod-wearing cousin. In an era where pedestrian fatalities have risen 13% since 2009, per NHTSA data, courts aren’t going to look kindly on people who tamper with federally mandated safety features.

Some Automakers Are Actually Embracing Custom Sounds

While GM locks owners into its chosen sci-fi hum, other manufacturers have started to lean into the idea that EVs don’t have to sound like space shuttles. BMW, for instance, hired Inception composer Hans Zimmer to craft the acceleration sounds for its i4 and iX models, giving them a dramatic, cinematic feel. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E comes with a synthetic engine noise that mimics an internal combustion growl.

Even Ferrari—yes, Ferrari, has filed patents for an EV that will generate a sound that changes with throttle input, preserving some of the visceral appeal of a traditional sports car.

So why is GM still clinging to its generic sci-fi soundscape? Simple: Lawyers. According to a GM spokesperson (via Automotive News), the automaker opted against customization to ensure “full regulatory compliance.” Translation: They don’t want to deal with the potential liability of an owner swapping out the pedestrian alert for something wildly inappropriate, like, say, an air raid siren or a well-timed Dukes of Hazzard horn.

Could Owners Eventually Customize the Sound?

Right now, officially? No. But give it time. The EV modding community is nothing if not resourceful, and there’s already a black market of aftermarket hardware that can either disable the system or, in theory, modify the sounds it plays. The problem is that GM (like Tesla) has the ability to roll out over-the-air updates that could disable such modifications. So even if some enterprising hacker figures out how to make a Sierra EV play Jailhouse Rock at low speeds, there’s a good chance the next software update will revert it right back to Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The Bottom Line

At its core, the GMC Sierra EV’s low-speed noise is a symptom of a much larger trend in modern vehicles, manufacturers exerting ever greater control over what owners can and can’t modify. While the sound itself is federally mandated, the specific sound GM chose was entirely up to them. And instead of giving owners even a shred of customization, they went the safest, most legally bulletproof route: a sound that nobody loves, but nobody can sue them over.

So for now, Sierra EV owners hoping to trade in their stock space-age hum for something with a little more rock and roll are out of luck. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that car enthusiasts are nothing if not persistent. One day, someone will crack the code. And when that happens, I fully expect to see a GMC Sierra EV rolling through a Walmart parking lot, blaring Jailhouse Rock in all its glory. Until then, we’re stuck with the factory-set sci-fi soundtrack. What a time to be alive.

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.