Designing exhausts for hybrids isn’t easy but worth it, says Milltek

The British aftermarket specialist argues that hybrid vehicles do not need to be as loud as ICE sports cars, but they do need a pinch of individuality.

Steve Pound, Managing Director of Militek Sport, said that the idea was to make the soundtrack distinctive and sporty, but not too loud, seeing as many drivers spend most of the time in electric mode and switching to ICE can be jarring. At lower rev counts, it makes sense for the engine to sound smooth. As it revs up, the sound should become juicier and deeper, but not really much louder.

He also pointed out that designing exhaust systems for hybrid cars poses the challenge of keeping the hot pipes away from the battery pack. While traditional ICE cars remain the main priority of Milltek, it plans to continue actively developing hybrid-specific exhausts as this market keeps growing in the UK.

A system like the one in the video is already available for the Ford Puma ST powered by a 1.0-liter EcoBoost turbo and a small-time e-motor. The plug-in hybrid Cupra Formentor 1.4 TSi is supported, too. Next up in line is the plug-in hybrid version of the Range Rover Sport.