Back in the days when classic automobiles cruised the old streets, engines roared and nobody worried about the effects of driving – mainly due to the reality that there were far fewer cars on the roads. Nowadays the streets and the cars that crowd them have changed, but sadly this revolution has developed a surge in CO2 emissions.
There have been numerous suggestions for battling the effects on the economy from the continuous introduction of modern gas guzzlers, but the answer has come in the form of hybrid vehicles. Not only do they emit lower levels of CO2, but they offer a quieter sound output – the only problem with this is we can’t hear them coming. Lotus is going full steam ahead with their Evora 414E model that comes complete with “fancy sound FX”, according to Edmunds.com.
Motorists and pedestrians run a high risk on the roads, so by having sound FX generators built into hybrid cars, road users will be alerted by rendering audible sounds. The Every day Mail internet site has reported that “electric cars could soon be given unique signature tunes so that pedestrians can hear them and stay away from stepping out into their path”.
Regulators in the European Union, Japan and the United States are considering permitting manufacturers an array of sounds – from the conventional brum brum automobile engines to sci-fi sounds from Star Wars (let’s just hope we don’t have Darth Vader breathing down our necks although driving).
It’s ironic that for decades automobile manufactures have been on the quest to make engine sounds quieter, and yet now they are digitally enhancing engine sounds to make them more apparent. NY Times site has reported that some hybrid auto organizations have began “tinkering in sound studios, in order to customise engine noises”. “1 possibility is selecting your own noise”, said Nathalie Beuters, a spokeswoman for BMW’s Mini Division, which could open up a entire new possibility for vehicle manufacturers to compete in the race to be the most prominent sound on the roads.
According to Dailymail.com, “electric and hybrid cars don’t have to make the exact same noise as conventional cars even so, they present us with a chance to change that irritating roar into some thing much more pleasant”.
