Hybrid Cars - not noisy enough?

April 12, 2008 |

It is very seldom that someone complains about a lack of pollution. However, this rare event is becoming increasingly common in relation to Hybrid Electric / Gas cars and the amount (or lack) of noise pollution they give out.

Popular Hybrid Cars such as the Prius and Ford Escape tend to use their hybrid, electric power source when they travel at low speeds - often exclusively. The low, electric whine emitted at such times is not unlike that of a golf cart or golf buggy and certainly a lot quieter than the note of a conventional gas engine. Add to this the fact that when most of these hybrid cars are going at low speeds (and thus using only electric power) they are of course commonly in town and built up areas. Built up areas have another characteristic - pedestrians, and here is where we start to see problems.

4406 st0640 046 Hybrid Cars not noisy enough?

The news recently has been peppered with stories of how dangerous hybrid cars are to pedestrians who must now rely on noticing these vehicles visually, with little warning coming from sound. In an ideal world, everyone would look both ways every time they set foot off the kerb, but this is not an ideal world and not everyone has the knowledge, time or even the option of using best practice every time they cross the street. The prospect of not seeing an impact coming may be scary for most people, but it must be a terrifying prospect to not hear a vehicle coming if you have poor vision. This is a fact that organisations such as The National Federation of the Blind have been quick to pick up on. Yes, hybrid cars use electric power at only low speeds, but then 20-30mph really isn’t that ‘low’ a speed if you are hit squarely by a 3,500lb Ford Escape SUV, is it?

A number of options are on the table and being promoted by the various interest groups expressing concern on the safety risk that suoer quiet hybrids pose. Understandably, most proposals centre around simply adding noise to such vehicles. Engine note simulating technology is already commonly available (sometimes adopted by ‘tuners’ to enhance the engine note of their car) - but its just a little weird.