September 23, 2019—Back in July, NOLN shared news about a European mandate for the addition of noise to those quiet electric vehicles while at low speed. Now, The New York Times has a story about automakers developing sounds for cars in the U.S. market.
Acting on previous government guidance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a rule that could allow for different sound options for EVs. Without a sound, the concern is that their silent operation might be a danger to pedestrians. The NTSB had previously found that EVs are 35 percent more likely than internal combustion engine vehicles to be involved in a pedestrian accident, the Times reported.
The article focuses on composers hired by Nissan to develop a signature low-speed sound. The result sounds a bit like the THX sound effect that's often played at movie theaters.
Have a listen for yourself: