Daily Auto News Nissan Leaf Will Make Whirring Noise
Daily Auto News
Nissan’s Leaf may usher in the sound of future electric cars when it arrives in December with an artificial “whirring” noise to alert pedestrians of its presence.
According to the Washington Post, “Nissan added the artificial noises as lawmakers and regulators study whether auto manufacturers should be required to install warning sounds in their vehicles to alert pedestrians.”
The Washington Post further reports, “According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last year, hybrid vehicles are twice as likely as conventional cars to be involved in a pedestrian crash in some low-speed situations.”
The noise, which chimes intermittently, will be, “a sine wave sweeping from 2.5kHz to 600Hz,” states CNET.
Owners will have the option to turn off the sound via an interior switch, but the system will default to “on” every time the car is started. At speeds over 18 mph, the system will turn off since road noise will be sufficient enough to warn pedestrians of a coming Leaf.
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