Noisemakers for Electric Cars

Lotus "Safe and Sound" Technology

A couple of very rare electric Tesla Roadsters were crunched in wrecks recently, leading to speculation that they are just too darn quiet. Immediately, concern for the blind at crosswalks became an emergency issue.

Lotus jumped on this obvious need and came up with a gizmo that makes a Toyota Prius sound as obnoxious as a diesel truck.

The “Safe and Sound” system has a speaker behind the front bumper to give out a warning signal. Where I come from, this is referred to as a “horn.” It’s similar to the noise maker idea developed by some Stanford students.

The system uses a speed sensor on the accelerator to control the vroom-vroom sound. You only hear it as the car approaches, and it cuts out entirely when the car's engine takes over at higher speeds. Considering all of the emerging vehicle technology out there, Lotus could have sunk its R&D;dollars into just about anything.