Lotus develops a noisemaker for quiet electric motors
As the quiet hum hybrids is becoming more and more common on neighborhood streets -- soon to be followed by nearly silent all-electric vehicles -- many have raised the concern that pedestrians are at a greater risk of getting smacked by one of these energy-conscious cruisers. That's why sports car manufacturer Lotus has stepped up to the plate with a sound system that simulates the roar of the combustion engine.While I always thought it would be cool to hear less engine noise, I have to agree that silent, fast-moving hunks of steel on wheels could prove dangerous. For years, Lotus Cars has been working to perfect their patented noise-canceling technology, now they're using that knowledge to pump up the volume.
The sound system consists of a loudspeaker, placed under the hood, as well as sensors that monitor throttle and speed, adjusting the sound to mimic typical engine sounds. According to the article, the speakers are highly directional, and bystanders won't hear a thing once the car has passed. Nice. Also, when the hybrid switches from electric mode to gas power, the loudspeaker goes quiet.
The problem that I see with this technology: people will start customizing their engine sounds -- like ring tones. While it'd be funny to have a Harley sound coming out of a Prius, I can imagine an almost infinite catalog of totally obnoxious "car tones."
[via Earth2Tech]
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