I also thought EVs would be quieter but as they became more common in my street I noticed they’re only a little quieter than internal combustion cars from the moment they reach a certain speed (say 30km/h).
Most of the noise comes from the tire friction and aerodynamics.
Urban core traffic is slow moving and dominated by engine noise. In fact it’s generally dominated by public transit noise - massive double length buses, of services - garbage trucks. Tire noise is more an issue for folks living next to high traffic thru routes.
Most of the noise comes from the tire friction and aerodynamics.