As Renault mulls whether to separate its electric vehicle business this summer, it has this tool in its toolbox: the completely anechoic chamber at its Aubevoye Technical Centre in Normandy, France. The 3,000-square-foot research room, with 36-foot-high ceilings, is filled with foam cones and microphones to trap and dissect every sound inside and outside its new vehicles. Renault is stepping up its investment in EVs to take on Volkswagen and Stellantis and wants to improve drivers’ acoustic experience in a combustionless environment, where electronics, rolling wheels, music and safety alerts all mesh with battery-powered silence.