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Should EVs Make Artificial Sounds at Low Speeds?

Discussion in 'Electric Vehicles' started by Brent, Apr 10, 2008.

  1. Cobos

    Cobos S60 Owner since 2013 - sold, S85D owner since 2017

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    A quiet horn is the way I see it to only solution to this problem. The fact that a EV is quiet is one of the biggest advantages. A quiet horn will solve all the possible problems and will NOT introduce any new problems.

    Cobos
     
  2. vfx

    vfx Well-Known Member

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  3. DaveD

    DaveD EVs Kick Gas!

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    The Vectrix electric scooter that is my current daily driver has a good implementation of this. A tap of the horn button will emit a muted horn sound that's not too loud or unpleasant to the ears; it's clearly meant to be used as a warning "hey, I'm quiet, so notice me" type of a sound. But if you press and hold down the horn button, it will emit the loud horn blast you would expect from it.

    There's enough computer technology (CAN bus, DSP, etc.) in the Vectrix, that I believe this is not just some characteristic of the horn and that the horn button is simply wired directly to the horn. Its clearly distinguishing between short and long horn button presses and sending a deliberately short current/voltage pulse to the horn to get it to emit the muted sound.
     
  4. vfx

    vfx Well-Known Member

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    Sounds good (pun intended)

    I hope Tesla is listening (not a pun). My fear is that without such a dual stage horn that is showing that we are doing something about the "problem" that we will be forced into lame requirements like constantly emitted sounds.

    Just wait till the first big news EV-Pedestrian fatality. It will be a lot better to hear the reporter say, "The driver did not use his warning horn" than the proclimation, "We need to make all Electric Cars noisy".:mad:
     
  5. graham

    graham Active Member

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    In lieu of a low tone horn, perhaps I can mount my bicycle bell on top of the side mirror for such occasions.

    "ding ding!"
     
  6. doug

    doug Administrator / Head Moderator

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    I think I've mentioned it before, but I think this would be a good feature on most cars. I've often wanted such a thing for those parking lot situations where you have clueless people walking around in your way and not paying attention to their surroundings. You want to let them know you're there with out having to be so obnoxious as blowing a loud horn or yelling at them out the window. :wink:
     
  7. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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    A quiet horn gets my vote.

    Then again, I always had a soft spot for Commander Straker's Car on the UFO TV series

    Click the link and scroll down for some sound clips :smile:

    UFO Sound Effects
     
  8. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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  9. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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  10. Kevin Harney

    Kevin Harney Active Member

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    My thoughts on this subject are quite simple....

    If you are dumb enough to cross the street without looking you deserve to get hit by my car !!! And to top that off you should have to pay for the damages to my car. That will help people to look before crossing the street :smile: Too much of this world is centered on me me me. Why do I have to stop for you ? Why can't you take the time to stop for me ? Wait is that a me me me statement too LOL :confused:
     
  11. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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  12. TEG

    TEG Teslafanatic

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  13. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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    Poor blind people. Up until now they haven't been able to witness the horror of Punishment Cars. Now they'll get to experience the aural equivalent along with the rest of us.

    Demo-crass-y. Yay.
     
  14. Kevin Harney

    Kevin Harney Active Member

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    TEG,

    Apparently my sarcasm was not coming through clearly :rolleyes: Or if we can be serious about this then perhaps the blind could be exempt LOL I suppose that would raise ADA issues though - we must all be treated fairly LOL :confused:
     
  15. vfx

    vfx Well-Known Member

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  16. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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  17. graham

    graham Active Member

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  18. Joseph

    Joseph Member

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    California is trying to solve a problem, when it isn't even definite that there is a problem.
     
  19. Chris H.

    Chris H. Member

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    It would seem to me that the simplest, most effective, solution would be for quiet EVs to have a transponder on board. Blind people could be provided with a receiver that alerts them (either by sound or vibration) when an EV is approaching. More sophisticated receivers might also be capable of alerting the blind person of the direction of the approaching vehicle.

    Question: How does a blind person know when a bicycle is approaching?
     
  20. TEG

    TEG Teslafanatic

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    And rather than have some constant sound emitter, why not have a pedestrian detector that activates a directed sound source only when the vehicle detects an obstruction and can tell that you are not slowing down fast enough to stop before hitting it. Sort of the way the Lexus pre-tensions the seat belts, and "gets ready", but currently doesn't implement auto-braking for you.

    Perhaps a vehicle could detect the magnetic sensors in the road that are used to tell traffic signals that cars are waiting for the light. Your car would use a "detector detector" to know that you were approaching an intersection so could perhaps activate the warning sound only as you approach a crosswalk.
     

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