And the dumbest idea award goes to...

[AdamK47]

But the electric motor also has an unexpected side effect: It is completely silent, Fisker says, which might worry pedestrians with bad eyesight and disappoint sports car freaks keen to hear the roar of their machines.

Fisker says the solution is speakers the company has added inside and outside the vehicle. One option will allow drivers to make their car sound ''like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane,'' and certainly loud enough to be heard by pedestrians.

A gimmick? Fisker says most car makers already tinker with the sound of the engine.

''It's been enhanced and manipulated to make sure it sounds good,'' he says. ''Part of any experience is the acoustic experience.''

Read it here.

 

[Arkaign]

lol. I've heard of this idea before for electric cars. It may actually be a danger to animals/pedestrians to have cars running around making zero noise from the drivetrain.

 

[radioouman]

Flowmaster built their business on making noise.

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: radioouman
Flowmaster built their business on making noise.

Perhaps now they can branch out and make external speakers for hybrids. *shudder*

 

[Thump553]

The dumbest thing in my Prius is that it beeps like a truck when you back up. Stupidly, they designed it to beep on the INSIDE, I assume to notify a driver so dumb he/she forgot they are backing up. The beep is inaudible outside where it would do some good, because frequently you back up with just the (silent) electric motor engaged.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Thump553
The dumbest thing in my Prius is that it beeps like a truck when you back up. Stupidly, they designed it to beep on the INSIDE, I assume to notify a driver so dumb he/she forgot they are backing up. The beep is inaudible outside where it would do some good, because frequently you back up with just the (silent) electric motor engaged.

That deserves an lol and a wtf at the same time. I imagine the lol aspect fades after continued annoyance, however.

 

[coldmeat]

They did this on Pimp my ride. It's dumb.

 

[daveymark]

the whistles go woooo wooooo

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Thump553
The dumbest thing in my Prius is that it beeps like a truck when you back up. Stupidly, they designed it to beep on the INSIDE, I assume to notify a driver so dumb he/she forgot they are backing up. The beep is inaudible outside where it would do some good, because frequently you back up with just the (silent) electric motor engaged.

I think a driver that dumb could unknowingly back up a non-hybrid vehicle just as easily as a hybrid. This makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: daveymark
the whistles go woooo wooooo

But that's only in the morning...

 

[Leros]

I dunno. My friend said his parents left their hybrid turned on in the garage all night once because they forgot to turn it off as a result of not hearing it be on.

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: Leros
I dunno. My friend said his parents left their hybrid turned on in the garage all night once because they forgot to turn it off as a result of not hearing it be on.

I wouldn't blame the car on that one.