Model 3 low speed pedestrian warning sound?

[smartypnz]

Mama said "look both ways" before crossing the street.

 

[Jason S]

Just turn on the AC. (Gees that's loud now)

 

[daniel]

My Zap Xebra had a loud back-up beeper, like you hear on heavy equipment. I had a switch installed so I could shut it off. I turned it on when backing out of a space in a parking lot. It was an excellent system: It made pedestrians very aware of the car. But was silent when going forward, as well as backing up when I didn't need/want it.

The thing is, modern gas cars are quiet enough that the tires make more noise than the engine at low speeds. Any argument made for EVs to have noise-makers will apply equally to stinkers.

 

[S'toon]

Just shout "Look before crossing the ****ing road, you selfish *****rds for expecting everything done for you including thinking!!!"

That's what I more or less what yell at drivers who decide to make their turn while I'm in the middle of crossing the street. They seem to have a habit of looking at the traffic when turning and not where they're going .

 

[Jersey Shore Tom]

Just shout "Look before crossing the ****ing road, you selfish *****rds for expecting everything done for you including thinking!!!"

Ever met anyone with less than perfect vision? Perhaps you had to deal with glare once. Maybe heard of people who live at a blind curve.

I was going to say I'm not sure I agree with you on who is being selfish here. But actually, I am sure I disagree with you.

 

[alexeiw123]

Ah so mods pulled my post out of the mules thread and made it in to it's own thread! I was indirectly asking for people to listen when they are mule spotting.

I despise the sound in the leaf, and it's part of my routine when driving it to toggle it off as soon as I power it up. I watch where I'm driving and I very much feel that pedestrians shouldn't be walking on to a vehicle thoroughfare with nothing but blind faith.

 

[McHoffa]

NHTSA sets 'Quiet Car' safety standard to protect pedestrians

"Manufacturers have until Sept. 1, 2019, to equip all new hybrid and electric vehicles with sounds that meet the new federal safety standard. Half of new hybrid and electric vehicles must be in compliance one year before the final deadline."

So that means half of their fleet has to have the sound by next year September. I would guess that they will just go ahead and add it to the entire fleet before then, but maybe they'll just go ahead and have it on all Model 3s from the beginning and let S/X owners have silent cars until they have to add it in 2019.

 

[JeffK]

NHTSA sets 'Quiet Car' safety standard to protect pedestrians

"Manufacturers have until Sept. 1, 2019, to equip all new hybrid and electric vehicles with sounds that meet the new federal safety standard. Half of new hybrid and electric vehicles must be in compliance one year before the final deadline."

So that means half of their fleet has to have the sound by next year September. I would guess that they will just go ahead and add it to the entire fleet before then, but maybe they'll just go ahead and have it on all Model 3s from the beginning and let S/X owners have silent cars until they have to add it in 2019.

I have my wire cutters on hand. Between now and then maybe I can design a cool remote switch.

 

[Nosken]

I want something very simple and quiet like the ding – ding of a thumb actuated bell, like on bicycle handlebars. Just an occasional ding - ding automatically, or in those few times that you need it, actuate it from the touchscreen.

 

[JeffK]

I want something very simple and quiet like the ding – ding of a thumb actuated bell, like on bicycle handlebars. Just an occasional ding - ding automatically, or in those few times that you need it, actuate it from the touchscreen.

That'd be against the way the law is written though

 

[Mishakim]

I despise the sound in the leaf, and it's part of my routine when driving it to toggle it off as soon as I power it up.

They must have changed the sound when they took away that switch (my 2014 can't turn it off). It's much smoother than the warble in the video (which was from 2010), it's just a quiet electric whine now.

 

[daniel]

Backup beeper, yes. That makes sense. All cars should have that. Noisemakers otherwise are crap. More idiocy from the moronic know-nothings in Congress. FUD from people who hate EVs and are pretending to care about blind people. Modern cars are so quiet at low speeds that singling out EVs is just ignorant anti-EV prejudice.

 

[croman]

The Leaf makes a sound, but to my ear it just sounds like an electric motor, I guess it's louder than the actual electric motor? At any rate, I've never observed a pedestrian react to my Leaf as if they heard the noise it's making, they either hear the road crunch (poorly paved access road to my neighborhood), or they are surprised when they happen to turn and see it sneaking up on them.

Leaf makes a high pitch whistle/drone. Its quite annoying. Now that my LEAF is almost out of warranty, I am salivating at being able to sever that cable and silence (unshackle) my otherwise wonderful, if not ignored, EV. I want to protect pedestrians, especially ones that blind, but the tone is unnecessary. Road noise from the tires is what gives a car away. EV or ICE, low speed travel is fairly quiet.

 

[Trips]

Rules as I understand them
1. Must have either a 2 tone or 4 tone noise. (They have rules on what Hz each tone has to be)
2. Must be on under 18 mph
3. 50% of vehicles produced after 9-1-2018 should have it, 100% on 9-1-19
4. Same models must make the same sound (No picking your own sound, but does not say anything about a fleet wide change)

I found the following about the weight. "...we would expect that due to the additional weight that these components add to the vehicles in which they are installed, if manufacturers make no other changes to reduce vehicle weight, these vehicles would consume an additional 2.3 more gallons of fuel over the lifetime of a passenger car and 2.5 more gallons of fuel over the lifetime of a light truck which would result in an average fuel cost of $4.75 per vehicle for over the lifetime of MY 2020 vehicles..."

 

[melindav]

I found the following about the weight. "...we would expect that due to the additional weight that these components add to the vehicles in which they are installed, if manufacturers make no other changes to reduce vehicle weight, these vehicles would consume an additional 2.3 more gallons of fuel over the lifetime of a passenger car and 2.5 more gallons of fuel over the lifetime of a light truck which would result in an average fuel cost of $4.75 per vehicle for over the lifetime of MY 2020 vehicles..."

so it estimates that adding noise makers to silent electric vehicles, would require x additional gallons of fuel to carry the added weight of the equipment?
hopefully they were speaking directly to the hybrid models

 

[ummgood]

I am hoping for an mp3 based version so I can customize the sound to whatever I want. I plan on using the coconuts from the holy grail movie.

 

[1208]

A large proportion of accidents with pedestrians are caused by pedestrians listening to music with ear phones on.

And what about people who have imperfect hearing?

 

[boaterva]

So there's no requirement for the vehicle to be 'x level of quietness'? I didn't see in the excerpts above where you measure how the requirement is, um, required. All 'EV's of any type? WTF... As was said, Teslas are pretty noisy when the AC is on, or in P mode...

 

[JeffK]

A large proportion of accidents with pedestrians are caused by pedestrians listening to music with ear phones on.

And what about people who have imperfect hearing?

Sirens and flashing lights are next in addition to waving your hands... nevermind that the car would automatically try to stop if it detected a pedestrian in front of it at low speed.

I am hoping for an mp3 based version so I can customize the sound to whatever I want. I plan on using the coconuts from the holy grail movie.

Naw it'll be a hard coded to play nothing but cowbell

 

[Zaphod]

I am hoping for an mp3 based version so I can customize the sound to whatever I want. I plan on using the coconuts from the holy grail movie.

I think it would be better to have it play "Ni!" "Ni!"...that will get pedestrian's attention