Glydsphere Provides Sounds to Sync with Quiet Electric Vehicle Motors » Dallas Innovates

Glydsphere promises to “put the color back into your life” and make eco-friendly driving more satisfying.

From the roar of a Corvette to the purr of a Mercedes S-Class luxury sedan, sound has always been an important part of our experience in and around cars. Until electric vehicles came along and… nothing. No sound.

Some may appreciate the silence, but for other car enthusiasts, the lack of noise reduces their enjoyment.

Glydsphere-Space Gravity LLC announces that it offers the world’s first audio system for electric vehicles. According to the company, it requires no installation or modification to the vehicle, and the sound, synchronized with movement, is audible inside and outside the vehicle. The integration not only meets individual preferences but also addresses safety concerns by providing auditory cues to pedestrians.

Founder Johannes Luckemeier based the company in Houston, but he has strong ties to Germany, where he studied and worked in sound design at Harman, BMW and Mercedes-AMG GmbH, which leads marketing for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and products.

He started Glydsphere after his own unsatisfactory experience with his new Tesla.

Luckemeier said driving the electric vehicle “felt like living a life in silence.”

With his background in sound design, he started tinkering with car sounds and developed Glydsphere, which offers a wide variety of sounds ranging from a Ferrari or a muscle car to the Millenium Falcon of Star Wars.

Excel in entrepreneurial engagement

Luckemeier grew up in an entrepreneurial family, with his parents starting their own companies. Those dinner table conversations left their mark, he says. After a decade working in large international companies, he felt that “this wasn’t the right place for me.”

Luckemeier was one of 12 founders to participate in the Capital One 2024 Accelerator, a 12-week, mobility-focused program that helps startups develop business plans, prepare for capital, build relationships, and refine their pitches. At the accelerator’s pitch at Dallas Startup Week, he received the top award as one of two “Most Engaged Founders,” taking home $5,000 for making an outstanding contribution to the cohort.

Beyond the pleasure of interacting with other mobility entrepreneurs through the program, he gained some potential supporters for Glydsphere. One of the guest speakers was a corporate lawyer who “really fits my current needs.” And his Accelerator mentor has become a strategic advisor.

As for his winnings, Luckemeier said he plans to use them to help pay legal fees for his first round of funding, which is already underway.

“A question of ingenuity”

The global electric vehicle market was valued at $500 billion last year and is expected to reach $1.9 trillion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.

But current sales are down from what experts predicted a few years ago, and some traditional automakers are doubling down on internal combustion engines (ICEs) and producing fewer electric vehicles.

Via LinkedIn, Luckemeier gave his opinion on the return of automakers from electric vehicles to internal combustion vehicles. He does not think it is a demand problem.

“It’s more about ingenuity here,” he said.

Part of that market decline is due to a lack of visceral experience with sound, according to an April New York Times article and a May Barron’s article.

Glydsphere aims to solve this “quiet living” problem for electric vehicles.

The company’s audio system combines a high-performance speaker, placed in the car’s trunk, and an app with a custom library of over 50 sounds, which is constantly growing. Want your car to sound like a Maserati, a rocket, a flying car or a UFO? Glydsphere has you covered.

After a recent industry event in San Luis Obispo, Luckemeier hinted at the completion of Glydsphere’s integration with Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck in a LinkedIn post. As Luckemeier wrote, “we already have Cybertruck customers waiting for their Glydsphere,” highlighting the demand for personalized vehicle experiences.

The founder also expressed excitement about meeting Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The industry event in California brought together electric vehicle enthusiasts and Tesla parts suppliers. Luckemeier also noted “opening a conversation with Tesla about customizable engine sounds,” a feature that could enhance the driving experience and attract automotive enthusiasts to electric vehicles.

For more details on the Capital One 2024 Accelerator Program Pitch and its finalists, read the full article here.

Capital One is a Platinum Partner of Dallas Innovates. “Solving the ‘Life on Mute’ Problem: Glydsphere Delivers Rich, Varied Sounds to Sync with Quiet Electric Vehicle Motors”” was written and edited by Dallas-based branding studio Innovates.

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