A whistle that can save a life: the new Nissan Leaf’s new noisy tech
In the age of the hybrid car, which run nearly silent at low speeds, there has been much cause for concern, and growing advocacy around, what can be done to help blind pedestrians, who can’t listen for typical audible cues present in modern internal combustion engines. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working on guidelines that would require hybrids and electric vehicles to produce sounds that can be heard by pedestrians at low speeds, the new Nissan Leaf may be the answer we’ve been waiting for. See your Nissan dealer in Indianapolis for further details.
The Nissan Leaf, an electric vehicle, will use a sine-wave sound system that will “whistle” while the car is traveling at less than 19 mph. The sound system will range from 2.5kHz to 600Hz. It will also make intermittent sounds when put into reverse to alert people standing or walking behind. And in a nod to traditional gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles, the Leaf will make a louder sound when first started up to alert pedestrians to the vehicle’s presence. The technology is a result of a four-year study by leading universities and institutes. More than 100 sounds were developed and tested in the process. Part of the challenge was that the audio needed to be loud enough to help the hearing-impaired, but still pleasant enough to be tolerated in neighborhood communities. The research also looked into how it might help children remain safe around cars.
Nissan has already sold out of its initial allotment of Leaf EVs for the U.S. market (roughly 13,000 vehicles). The vehicle is priced at $32,780 before a $7,500 federal tax credit and can travel up to 100 miles on a charge. LEAF’s popularity is explained simply by living up to its name – the acronym stands for “Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car.” Because the Leaf is an all-electric car, it has the advantages of producing no tail pipe pollution, lessening dependence on oil, and its total cost of ownership improves in comparison as the price of gasoline rises. In January 2010 the Leaf received the Green Car Vision Award by the Green Car Journal. To see when the Leaf might be available near you, see your Nissan dealer in Indianapolis.