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Electric cars - Noise?

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coldplugs

coldplugs

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I rode in my first hybrid SUV a few months ago (Lexus maybe?) and maneuvering around in the owner's driveway was pretty spooky - no noise. Sort of like a golf cart.

Ever since I've wondered about the safety aspects of a silent car since as pedestrians & bicyclists we sort of depend on <span style="font-style: italic">hearing</span> cars as well as seeing them. I read an interesting article in the Economist this morning about this very issue. It seems that Lotus engineering is working on noise-making schemes for electric cars that serve as warnings to those outside the car yet are not annoying to passengers.

They mentioned the possibility of having downloadable "ringtones" for electrics. Imagine the possibilities - in the future we can have cars that sound like V-12 Ferraris or Packards, small-block Chevys, or whatever. The mind boggles.
 
coldplugs said:
- in the future we can have cars that sound like V-12 Ferraris or Packards, small-block Chevys, or whatever. The mind boggles.
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Personally I'd rather have the V-12 Ferrari that sounds like a V-12 Ferrari - but hey, that's just me :driving:
 
MOst likley they'll download stupid stuff like goofy chirps of buzzes, or elevator music. I can only imagine the new ways to annoy and offend that will be offered with a system like that. I understand that cities with electric busses and such already use "alert noises" on them to warn pedestrians.
 
Ice cream truck music...
 
TR6oldtimer said:
Ice cream truck music...
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I need to stock up some LAWS rockets... :madder:
 
I didn't see a link for the Tesla sounds, but I've heard others in the past and they remind me of video games of the early 90's. In other words, it has cheap poser all over it.
 
According to evo Magazine, the Brabus sound effects work well, but they're meant mainly to be heard by the car's occupants, using speakers and such. Not as an alarm for other road users.
 
I found it! The perfect sound effect for these cars:

oGLvflc&feature=related" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>
 
More than half the time, I cannot hear a car until it's on top of me anyway.

For this reason, pedestrians are supposed to go against traffic so they can see what is coming at them. If you plan on riding a bicycle on the road, a rear view mirror should be considered mandatory. If one is swerving out in the lane without looking....well perhaps noise is not the issue.
 
Several years ago here in Albuquerque, a visitor from the UK was crossing a main street and looked before stepping into the path of an oncoming car. He unfortunately looked the wrong direction.
 
The first time my hybrid-driving neighbor sits at the stop sign on our street at 2am with a beeper blasting away to warn non-existent blind pedestrians is the day I'll formulate a strongly worded response to this question.

:smile:
 
:iagree:

Yep Basil if that don't scare em to deaf nothing will.--Keoke-- :laugh:
 
I've been driving a Prius for 3+ years now. The car is pretty quiet in electric mode, but in real life situations situations it's never a problem. Today's conventional cars at slow speeds make more noise with their tires on the pavement than with their engines anyway.

The one time it really is a problem is when backing out of parking spaces in a lot. Unless the a/c is on the car is always in electric mode when reversing slowly on level ground, and pedestrains in parking lots use their hearing more than their eyes when walking through aisles of cars. Hybrids back up silently, because usually the tires aren't moving fast enough to make noise yet. The car even has a back-up beeper <span style="font-style: italic">inside</span> the car to remind the driver that the car's still on.

I've surprised a few people in parking lots, but nobody's been killed yet. Compared to all the advantages of a well appointed mid-size family car getting 50 mpg, I think being careful when backing up is not much of a sacrifice. :cooler:
 
DaveatMoon said:
The one time it really is a problem is when backing out of parking spaces in a lot. Unless the a/c is on the car is always in electric mode when reversing slowly on level ground, and pedestrains in parking lots use their hearing more than their eyes when walking through ailes of cars. Hybrids back up silently, because usually the tires aren't moving fast enough to make noise yet.
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I believe that this silent creeping was used in an episode of <span style="font-style: italic">The Office</span>. Andy distracted Dwight somehow, and rolled his Prius into him.
 
Put one of these on and have it flash when the car is in electric mode. Can you imagine what that would look like at rush hour. Just think what it would be like if you also added the OSHA beeper. :jester:

Flashing-Light.jpg
 
TR6oldtimer said:
Put one of these on and have it flash when the car is in electric mode. Can you imagine what that would look like at rush hour. Just think what it would be like if you also added the OSHA beeper. :jester:
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It would be especially pretty at night LOL!
 
Funny... VW has now got an ad with "Max" the Beetle askin' th' neighbor what his Prius sounds like when it's runnin'.

Did we inspire somethin'?!?! :laugh:
 
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