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Is this really going to happen? Adding artificial noise. It’s a shame if so.

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First model year 2011 Nissan LEAF had a back-up beep similar to that of a construction vehicle, and fairly loud. It also had a dash-mounted factory off switch for the noise. Then came the 2012 with the same noise but no off switch. Then came the 2013 and subsequent models also with no off switch but the ability to be turned off by connecting to the CAN bus. I am totally out of luck having a 2012. And the noise is loud, easily heard inside the vehicle, annoying for neighbors backing out of my garage, and universally disregarded by pedestrians in parking lots. Another mommy-state solution for a non-documented problem.

You could put a switch in one of the wires going to the speaker. Or you could put an audio taper rheostat (variable resistor used to control volume) in one of the lines and adjust the volume. You’ll need to make sure it doesn’t get wet so it’ll need a little box. Anyway it is fairly easy to decrease the volume or to disable the sound.
 
First model year 2011 Nissan LEAF had a back-up beep similar to that of a construction vehicle, and fairly loud. It also had a dash-mounted factory off switch for the noise. Then came the 2012 with the same noise but no off switch. Then came the 2013 and subsequent models also with no off switch but the ability to be turned off by connecting to the CAN bus. I am totally out of luck having a 2012. And the noise is loud, easily heard inside the vehicle, annoying for neighbors backing out of my garage, and universally disregarded by pedestrians in parking lots. Another mommy-state solution for a non-documented problem.
How is it mommy-state if it was Nissan that implemented it without a law requiring it? Maybe it's ICE protectionism to make EVs more or as annoying as ICEV to normalize the noise of those engines. If all a person knows is noisy engines, they would just accept that it is how it is. However, if they know that cars can be quiet, then noisy engines sound obnoxious and should become less desirable, not emulated.
 
The noise that is being emitted (at least with current cars) doesn't sound like an ICE car, it's just a hum, or other audible noise to let pedestrians know you're there.
I'm sure I'm not the only one so far that has scared a few people in parking lots by creeping up on them... While I personally find it rather hilarious to do so, I also fully understand the safety implications for someone not hearing a car coming up on them.
 
There is a Youtube video on making a custom “horn”. He uses it to make the car make a non obtrusive sound as in if you need to make a sound but the horn is too much. It records whatever sound you want then plays it when you hit a button inside the car. It has quite a bit of memory so about any sound should be doable.


I may make one of these. I’d like it to say “beep” in a human voice. If that goes well, I’d like one for my front door. I’d like that one to say “ding dong”. It’ll be hilarious.
 
First model year 2011 Nissan LEAF had a back-up beep similar to that of a construction vehicle, and fairly loud. It also had a dash-mounted factory off switch for the noise. Then came the 2012 with the same noise but no off switch. Then came the 2013 and subsequent models also with no off switch but the ability to be turned off by connecting to the CAN bus. I am totally out of luck having a 2012. And the noise is loud, easily heard inside the vehicle, annoying for neighbors backing out of my garage, and universally disregarded by pedestrians in parking lots. Another mommy-state solution for a non-documented problem.
In our quiet neighborhood, I often use the "off" button for our 2011 LEAF's noisemaker when backing up, to disable the very obnoxious reverse beep which can be heard from inside all of the surrounding homes. That said, I do prefer to leave the noisemaker turned on whenever pedestrians are present. Overall, I regard having a noisemaker as a good thing, provided individual drivers and not the government have control over when it's used. If I'm driving a Forest Service dirt road at low speed with the windows open, I don't want to be forced to listen to extra noise (our old LEAF is the go-to vehicle for drives of that nature in our local area).
 
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Tesla can easily make the car throw an error of that happens. Plus imagine getting into a minor accident or hitting a pedestrian in a parking lot and they find out you disabled the safety feature. Won't play out well for you.

Personally I can care less if it's minor and I don't hear it in the car.

I can "Easily" Match the Impedance of a Speaker.
This Feature is so Dumb, People Jogging Typically have Headphones in, should we send a Signal to Disrupt their Music so we can Save Someone too Stupid to Look Both Ways before Crossing the Street... Government is just going too far these days.
 
How is it mommy-state if it was Nissan that implemented it without a law requiring it? Maybe it's ICE protectionism to make EVs more or as annoying as ICEV to normalize the noise of those engines. If all a person knows is noisy engines, they would just accept that it is how it is. However, if they know that cars can be quiet, then noisy engines sound obnoxious and should become less desirable, not emulated.
You are correct, and my post failed to disconnect Nissan’s decisions from upcoming DOT plans. It is the latter I meant as mommy-state, especially with no-to-limited relevant data, no attempt to factor in ICEV noise levels, and no concern for situations where these noisemakers will be most annoying like quiet neighborhoods and early morning departures. To me, that’s mommy-state, and a discriminatory one at that.

Nissan’s decisions were more daddy-state than mommy-state. I can see an internal memo stating: “we know what’s best for our drivers and our lawyers want noisemakers to avoid the remotest possibility of bad PR or, shudder, actual liability.”
 
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There were similar laws when cars were first introduced, people were used to the sound of horses.

As DE points out, I think it's a bit like this picture.

Give it time for people to get used to electrification of vehicles and perhaps we'll see the noises disappear. It'll all be relative to ICE vehicles at the beginning but once the quieter future is more permanent, then I think that rather like the push for lower speeds outside homes and schools, vast quantities of residential areas will complain at how noisy these things are and demand quiet zones.

An excellent video I saw the other day on disruptive innovations is looking at an S curve disappearance of automobiles altogether when automation, EVs and ride-sharing come together in the next few years. With 80% less vehicles on the roads (and a chunk of those in underground 'loop' systems) people are going to want peace and quiet when vehicles are used.
 
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After years of consideration, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) finally implemented what has now been known as the “quiet car rule” to force automakers to add a pedestrian noise device to its electric and hybrid vehicles.
“From article on electrek “

One of my favorite things about the car, and surely one of the most commented on by friends is how wonderfully quiet the car is. I really hate to see this happen.
I’m sorry this seems completely ridiculous
Nanny state FTW!!! We must protect ourselves from... um, ourselves... always at the cost of personal freedom, liberty, and common sense.
 
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I find that driving through parking lots, I get pedestrians who are completely oblivious (that it's a parking lot) walking down the middle of the lane like they own the place. They do not know I'm there. But if I honk, they look at my like I'm the jerk.
 
I find that driving through parking lots, I get pedestrians who are completely oblivious (that it's a parking lot) walking down the middle of the lane like they own the place. They do not know I'm there. But if I honk, they look at my like I'm the jerk.
This is a combination of entitlement and lack of courtesy. Not getting into why both of those are becoming more and more common, I can promise you that they do the same thing with an ICE car and can hear both the engine and tires on the pavement. The extra noise will only serve to distract and annoy, exacerbating the problems described above where society in general is becoming less and less cordial and respectful
 
I find that driving through parking lots, I get pedestrians who are completely oblivious (that it's a parking lot) walking down the middle of the lane like they own the place. They do not know I'm there. But if I honk, they look at my like I'm the jerk.
It could be a strategy to avoid getting hit by distracted drivers if they're walking down an aisle where cars can back out on either side.
 
Elon has commented that their solution is a sensor to locate any pedestrians in the direction of travel, and to project a focus sound that only they will be able to hear to alert them of a Tesla moving in their direction. No need to have a constant annoying sound that will serve no purpose.

If he can pull that off it is another example of the genius of Tesla.
yes, like autopilot, rain sensing wipers, and all the other half empty promises that define elon
 
These are not Elon promises, but simply his goals and expectations. He knows what he wants to accomplish, but often he does not get there, but is still usually far ahead of others.

Elon tends to dream big. It takes a while for reality to take hold. His autopilot is the best production system I have ever experienced, and his rain sensing wipers work pretty well, and improvements can be made with OTA updates. My X was sold without any rain sensing wipers or auto-headlight dimming. They appeared, magically, after my purchase. They were delivered at no cost and no effort on my part. It is hard for me to look a gift horse in the mouth.