ELECTRIC cars might not go like a Ferrari – but they could soon sound like one.

With more electric and hybrid vehicles being sold, campaigners are worried that they are not heard by cyclists, pedestrians and even pets and wildlife.

Now engineers are working on a device that can make a vehicle sound like anything from a sports car to a spaceship.

Experts at Lotus have designed a gadget that can, at the switch of a button, make an electric car roar like a supercar or even sound like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. The sound is broadcast from tiny speakers in the wheel arches.

The charity Guide Dogs for the Blind says it is vital to hear traffic. Others say there should be a decibel minimum for cars.