Race Car Talk

Lotus has planned to deal with recently voiced concerns over the hybrid vehicle safety concerns. As hybrid cars generate very small noise at slow speeds, there is more chance that cars can catch person by surprise. This is particularly right for visually harmed ordinary who rely on audio inputs to sense what is happening around them.

Lotus has produced the working model, using the Toyota Prius, of the external sound systems that would generate engine-kind noises. Prius was equipped with waterproof speaker next to radiator that functions only when the car is being electrically driven.

The speaker will produce engine sounds with proper pitch and frequency to compete with the speed of car. This will help the pedestrians to identify how far and fast the approaching car is moving. When hybrid gasoline engine begins, the system stops emitting the sound and restarts faultlessly when electric motor takes back over.

Source: Super Car Blog

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