Nissan electric cars to get sci-fi sound effects

Sep 26 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

In the film Blade Runner flying cars, or spinners, produced a low whizzing noise as they flew through city centres.

Music composers have been brought in to see if a similar noise can be produced for cars which will be driving through Newcastle and the North East in less than a decade.

Mr Tabata said the last thing he wanted was to just repeat the engine noises common today.

The sound system would automatically be activated when the car starts and stops when the car’s speed reaches 20kmh, the point at which electric cars would generate tyre noise.

Nissan is now considering equipping all units with the sound system when the model is launched next year.

The problem is not just limited to Nissan, with many manufacturers coming together to find a fix-all noise.

They are having to work together to prevent a situation decades from now in which each manufacturer uses a different noise and once again it is difficult to hear a particular car approaching. This should also rule out personalised tones already familiar to mobile phone users.

Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper, has said that Toyota and Fujitsu Ten Ltd will soon conduct their own experiment to try out various sounds to find “the right tune at the right volume so people are alerted but don’t find the sound annoying.”

Last night a Nissan spokeswoman said it was important that cyclists, pedestrians and other motorists could hear any electric vehicle approaching.