EV's Too Quiet ?!

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garygid said:
Notice that other (ICE) cars, especially luxury models, are often "silent" (below the ambient noise level) when moving slowly in a parking lot near an intersection with "noticable" traffic. Shouldn't these "silent" cars have "noisemakers" like EVs?


Politics and lobbies.
 
valkraider said:
Anyone disconnect the speaker yet? First thing to come of my LEAF will be the stupid noisemaker.


I believe it resets after each off mode which means there is a way to trick it via a software modification, even a basic circuit that keeps it off until desired rather than cutting.
 
valkraider said:
Anyone disconnect the speaker yet? First thing to come of my LEAF will be the stupid noisemaker.

The video was probably the pre-production model. The 'real' one is very quiet. On Amir's LEAF that he drove to the AZ Celebration, you could barely hear either sound. So I think they heard us, and toned it down a bit.
 
EVDRIVER said:
valkraider said:
Anyone disconnect the speaker yet? First thing to come of my LEAF will be the stupid noisemaker.


I believe it resets after each off mode which means there is a way to trick it via a software modification, even a basic circuit that keeps it off until desired rather than cutting.
My money is popping off the switch that manually turns it off and just wiring in a jumper. Each time the vehicle is turned on it might think that I'm pushing the button to turn off the noise! :)
 
I was thinking I could wire a small toggle switch into the line going to the speaker. Then it could be "disabled" by just flipping the switch, and turned back on if wanted or needed.

If the car detected the open circuit and complained: it would not be hard to figure out the resistance of the speaker and use switch that would bypass the speaker to a small resistor but still have a closed circuit.
 
Chris,
Test the switch-jumper idea first, by holding the switch down while starting.

Is the switch a momentary-on used to toggle the On/Off state of the VPS system?

Does the setting also control the "backup" sound (which I think is GOOD to leave "enabled")?
 
palmermd said:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20101217/AUTO01/12170344/1148/Car-sound-bill-
I try not to get political on this forum but I find this whole thing lame beyond belief and that it makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it. What disgusts me the most is that they are just targeting electric and hybrid vehicles and not simply sound pressure levels. Whats up with that? Next thing they are going to legislate a law that requires noise makers on bicycles that cannot be disabled because they are too quiet. Sigh.
 
Spies said:
I try not to get political on this forum but I find this whole thing lame beyond belief and that it makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it. What disgusts me the most is that they are just targeting electric and hybrid vehicles and not simply sound pressure levels....

I completely agree. I even went as far a writing to my two senators and congressman, and it seems they all voted against my recommendation. Oh well.
 
garygid said:
Chris,
Test the switch-jumper idea first, by holding the switch down while starting.

Is the switch a momentary-on used to toggle the On/Off state of the VPS system?

Does the setting also control the "backup" sound (which I think is GOOD to leave "enabled")?
It's definitely a momentary switch (played with it at the Nissan event last night) that toggles it on and off. I didn't check to see if it controls the backup sound as well. I'll find out as soon as they give me my car! :D
 
DarkStar said:
garygid said:
Chris,
Test the switch-jumper idea first, by holding the switch down while starting.

Is the switch a momentary-on used to toggle the On/Off state of the VPS system?

Does the setting also control the "backup" sound (which I think is GOOD to leave "enabled")?
It's definitely a momentary switch (played with it at the Nissan event last night) that toggles it on and off. I didn't check to see if it controls the backup sound as well. I'll find out as soon as they give me my car! :D

Both sounds are operated from that single switch and they are very soft sounds.
 
LEAFfan said:
Both sounds are operated from that single switch and they are very soft sounds.

I wonder if the sounds will have to be upgraded or modified to meet the requirements of the new law? I think the switch will have to be removed.
 
Current cars won't be required to comply with the new law. Future cars will have to comply however.

It would cost a company a lot of money to recall every hybrid ever made to install a speaker and sound device! ;)
 
DarkStar said:
Current cars won't be required to comply with the new law. Future cars will have to comply however.

It would cost a company a lot of money to recall every hybrid ever made to install a speaker and sound device! ;)

That makes sense, but should we expect the lawmakers to pass legislation that makes sense? The idea of singling out hybrid and EV's as being too quiet does not make sense. Why would we expect them to exempt existing cars?

I believe you are correct. They probably do exempt existing cars. It will be interesting to see if they take the full 18 months to determine the sound level before forcing the change, or if they come out right away. I'm also curious as to how long before the car makers are required to meet the requirement after they determine the sound level. I've not seen any details about his bill, only generalizations.
 
Another concern I have about where all this is going is when some pedestrian does get injured as the result of being hit by an EV or hybrid its not going to be the pedestrian or drivers fault but the fault of the manufacturer or the government for lack of noise makers on older EV and hybrid cars and or not being loud enough noise makers on the ones that have them. Seems like prime lawsuit material to me. I really hope I am wrong about this.
 
Until enough EV's get out on the roads, it is hard to make a meaningful, informed policy. The only data we have so far are Hybrids in parking lots. I will admit to having been stunned at seeing a Prius on the heels of my kids without them even knowing the car was there. We have just all been conditioned to scan for car dangers with our ears and eyes. Our roadways will get quieter and we will adapt to mostly visual scanning over time. Till then I say do what needs to be done to save lives. If one child's life is saved because of these noise devices, then I say it is well worth it.
 
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