A repeatable objective means of specifying interior noise targets for EV whines is presented. It offers a solution to the reoccurring issue of defining defendable whine targets in electric vehicle programs Electric vehicles tend to exhibit low level whines that have negligible effect on the overall level but can have a significant effect on the subjective perception In a vehicle with an engine, the firing frequency and its harmonics tend to dominate the overall level during accelerations. With an EV, the most significant orders are typically magnetic, gear related or offset about the inverter frequency. They can occupy higher frequencies where there is less masking from road and wind noise and are, therefore, subjectively more prominent Different cars will have different levels of masking. For instance, a car with a sporty bias may have higher levels of road noise than a luxury vehicle. The former can accept higher levels of whine noise without them being prominent. If stringent road noise targets are specified, stringent whine targets are also required The method proposed here is suitable for low level whines, compensates for different levels of masking (road and wind noise) and provides a pressure target that can be cascaded to system level (EDU noise) using the principles of transfer path analysis.