Nissan Presents Leaf Sound for Pedestrians...

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DeaneG said:
I think the reverse sound is much too loud. It's very audible from across the length of the parking lot even with the wind blowing.

It's a good way annoy a parking lot full of people. The reverse sound should only carry 20ft.
Click to expand...

Good thing about such things is - its is very easy to fix for Nissan. I'm sure they would have noticed the "revolt" on the internets.
 
Not good enough ...

Latest info ... NY Times, no way everyone would agree on this anyway but apparently the ability to shut it off wasn't something the visually impaired would want ... no surprise

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/201...pointed-in-nissan-e-v-sounds-for-pedestrians/

Why don't they go after golf carts as well (after all they're EV's that go less than 20 mph) of course that reminds me that those in-terminal electric airport shuttles that carry disabled passengers emit a rather annoying sound for both those that can see and those who don't! ... now that would be really unacceptable!

There are also NEV's that don't emit much sound either so I would guess this will aplly to them as well ...
 
redLEAF said:
Latest info ... NY Times, no way everyone would agree on this anyway but apparently the ability to shut it off wasn't something the visually impaired would want ... no surprise
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I'm normally a fairly tolerant and compassionate person. But in this case I have to say.....F**K 'EM! They won't be happy until the thing is blaring like a freakin' fire truck the whole time it's moving.

Oh, and if Nissan does omit the off switch...I'll just install my own!

BTW, when was the last time you saw a blind person? I haven't seen one in YEARS. Though I admit I don't get out much beyond to and from work.
 
We're a nation of many, many, 'special interest' groups each vying for attention I guess ... at the very least it appears after all the hype that this may be 3 years out and hopefully enough valid studies will show that the overall ambient noise will be sufficient and this simply isn't needed. I'd have to look it up but seem to recall a TV ad with a hybrid car (perhaps a Prius) that showed a Dad driving around a baby because it couldn't sleep and then 'coasting' (electric power only) into the driveway so as not to wake it up ... I guess this wouldn't happen with a LEAF if this goes through
 
redLEAF said:
Not good enough ...

Latest info ... NY Times, no way everyone would agree on this anyway but apparently the ability to shut it off wasn't something the visually impaired would want ... no surprise

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/201...pointed-in-nissan-e-v-sounds-for-pedestrians/
Click to expand...

The storm in a tea cup continues.

The National Federation of the Blind said in a statement that while it was pleased that the alert existed, it was unhappy that the driver was able to turn it off.
...
But it said the forward noise should also be used for reversing because the “intermittent sound is not as effective as a continuous sound” and that the car should emit warning sounds at all times, not only when it’s moving slowly.
...
But the federation said it believed “vehicles must make a sound at all times, even when they are idling, in order to protect the safety of blind pedestrians.”
Click to expand...
 
I drive a hybrid and when it is running on the electric motor, people do not know I'm there. They step right off of curbs on a red signal to J-walk or the really annoying thing is someone staggering through the middle of the parking lot, text messaging on their phone, clueless to the fact that a car is behind them. I don't want to honk, because that is obnoxious. I have always wished there was a horn button that wasn't a loud horn sound, that I could press on the steering wheel, to let a pedestrian know I am present. It seems to me this wasn't planned out very well. I do think some sort of sound option is necessary, however the whole "look at meeee...I'm driving a space ship" thing is a bit dumb.
 
I'm going to install a train horn and use it to make sure everyone can hear me in parking lots and cross walks. This is going to last until people throw things at your EV, about thirty seconds after hearing that noise. I think people will start to have an issue with the blind if they are surrounded by these noises. Use a cane-mounted proximity sensor, the legislators can pay for them.
 
Sorry, I realize I am new here, but the bottom line is that...cars that make no noise are dangerous to pedestrians, bikers and animals. I'm obviously not down with the Star Trek thing on my 35K car either.

I really don't want to even *think* about the idea of 50% of the drivers in Los Angeles owning quiet vehicles...and just mowing down puppies, kittens and Lindsey Lohans on iphones. Tragic. Ehh...oil spills n crap...this place is a bust anyways. Let em mow em down I guess.
 
Crunchy said:
Sorry, I realize I am new here, but the bottom line is that...cars that make no noise are dangerous to pedestrians, bikers and animals. I'm obviously not down with the Star Trek thing on my 35K car either.

I really don't want to even *think* about the idea of 50% of the drivers in Los Angeles owning quiet vehicles...and just mowing down puppies, kittens and Lindsey Lohans on iphones. Tragic. Ehh...oil spills n crap...this place is a bust anyways. Let em mow em down I guess.
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Don't forget those silent bicycles, better put noise makers on them as well.
 
^ I cannot count how many times pedestrians have casually walked right in front of my car without even bothering to look. And no, they're not blind. And no, I wasn't driving an electric or hybrid car. Often it's at speeds greater than 18 mph too. I've seen people walk across highways without looking!

BTW, for those who may have thoughts to express to the National Federation of the Blind, may I suggest their Twitter: @NFB_voice (strange that they only have 622 followers :eek: )
 
As long as we keep in mind that the sound is there for those that ARE aware and want to hear... There's nothing we can do to protect people from themselves, but there clearly is something we can do to reduce the risk to the vision impaired.

Thank God my eyes work...
 
Here's a youtube video with the *actual* recorded sound, comparing the Versa with the Leaf. I found the Versa to be barely audible in the video, but the Leaf has a very distinctive sound I could hear from the time it started. There's a bit of a breeze which makes them both hard to hear properly, but then I guess that makes it even more realistic. The forward sound is not annoying, but the backing sound is!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyqmKuDbPOw[/youtube]
 
Check this out.

http://noiseoff.org/evs.php

Also a nice article Chelsea.

Chelsea Sexton: We're losing sight of reason in the debate over adding sounds to electric vehicles

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/06/23/chelsea-sexton-were-losing-sight-of-reason-in-the-debate-over/
 
Great coverage of the EV "noise" problem.
The lack of documentation for the "need" for a sound is glaring.

Did anybody see that Exxon is a major contributor to the NFB?
No, I did not see it either, but I did not look.
 

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