Coming Soon: Downloadable ring tones for your silent electric car?

Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Green Daily Like to download new ring tones for your phone so that you don’t sound like everybody else in the world that opts for the free cell phones from their chosen service provider? The same kind of thing is reportedly in the works for future electric cars. We’ve been hearing for the last few years that the near silent nature of hybrids and EVs is a potential safety problem for pedestrians, especially for children and those hard of hearing, and these so-called “car tones” are seen as a possible answer to this problem

REPORT: Japan could require hybrids to emit sound

2010 Honda Insight - Click above for high-res image gallery Now that hybrid cars have taken the top sales spots in Japan for the last few months, that country’s Transport Ministry is reportedly launching an investigation to determine if it’s wise to require hybrid automobiles to emit an artificial sound when operating with the internal combustion switched off. The thinking is that hybrids may be more dangerous to the blind due to their quiet operation under electric power.

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