Ringtones For Your Electric Ride?
One deft criticism of electric cars is that they lack ambient noise to warn others of their impending approach. This is especially worrisome for the blind or elderly, and even early hybrids like the Prius are criticized for being too quiet in a world weened on engine noises. Then there are those of us who demand a growling engine as part of the automotive experience.
But that may all change in the not too distant future, as hybrid or electric cars may come equipped with artificial engine noises. You may even be able to customize the tunes coming out of your automobile.
- » See also: Is the Renault-Nissan Alliance Going in Two Different Electric Car Directions?
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I long for the days when the only sound coming from cell phones was a ring. Hard to believe that was only a few years ago. Now just about any sound or song can come from a phone these days, and most of the time the low-quality tune is more aggravating than entertaining. Can you imagine the utter chaos of allowing unlimited audio options for electric cars?
Think about it. A Toyota Prius that sounds like a ‘68 Cobra Jet Mustang with open headers. Or a Nissan LEAF blasting Soulja Boy songs on a constant loop. Some cars like the Fisker Karma already have built-in tones, with speakers in the bumpers to emanate noise and warn off pedestrians. It only took a few weeks to hack the iPhone, I imagine today’s geeks wouldn’t have too much trouble hacking car speakers and inserting their own tunes.
Now, adding car noises is nothing new. There are in fact numerous variations for producing alternative vehicular sounds. Some are simple, like the TurboWhistler, which plugs into your exhaust and makes it sound as though you have a turbocharger on your car. Other systems, like In.Pro’s Virtual Motor system, actually pump out revs through the sound system (though not outside the car) and can make a Civic sound like a prancing stallion.
Likely, you will have choices from the factory, but everybody demands customization these days. How far will we go? Where are the limits? Will this be cool, annoying, or somewhere in between? What do you think?
Source: NYTimes
This is actually a lot like the idea of engine noise cancelling technology from a while back, during the “Crazy Frog” ringtones fad. (oh, how I hated that frog)
At the time, I imagined a Porsche pulling up to the lights beside a silent and patiently waiting Lambourghini. The driver of the porsche would start reving their engine, goading the Lambourghini driver to a race, to which the Driver of the Lambo did the same in acceptance of the challenge. Then, just as the lights are changing, wheels are screeching and both cars pull off the line, the posche driver flips a switch which makes his engine revs sound like the “Crazy Frog’s” ramblings, causing the Lambo driver to loose control of his rapidly accelerating 1/4mill car and wrap it around a lamp post in a perrilous fit of laughter.
But since I hated that frog so much for stealing the sound from the web & annoying everyone in the UK, the porsche driver would end up in a head-on collision with a decomissioned WWII Tank conveniently parked where the porsche driver would be busy laughing maniacly and glance in his mirror for just a split second too long. (oh, how I hated that frog) lol
Moral of the story: Vehicle Ringtones = Bad Idea