Nissan Leaf Noisemaker--truely disgusting noise

http://energycommerce.house.gov/documents/20100526/HR5381.Amendment.Stearns.pdf

BTW, hybrids are already included.

 

A backup beeper is a good idea, the same as construction equipment has. My Xebra has this, though with an on/off switch. A forward noisemaker could be a deal-breaker for me. Especially if it does it while stopped at a light.

 

In the videos I've seen, the noise stops when the Leaf stops. But again - there is an override switch, too.

From the video's I've seen, the reverse beep is much more obtrusive than the forward noise which didn't sound too much noisier than the ICE vehicle they used for comparison.

 

As long as the forward noise can be shut off, I can accept that. A back-up beeper should be installed in every vehicle.

 

To resurrect an ancient thread:
I went to a Leaf meet/event at Younker Nissan today. I had a guy drive his car around w/parking lot w/the noisemaker. It's not very loud, IMHO. I listened to another as it left the parking lot and didn't find it loud either.

The reverse noise is quite soft too. If inside the car w/windows closed, it's faintly audible.

Prior to this, one of my friends apparently heard the noisemaker at a Best Buy parking lot and titled his email to me "Holy crap the Leaf is loud" and used the word "Goddamn" in his email. Perhaps he's more sensitive to the frequency ranges than I am and/or I've lost some hearing in those ranges?

The Leafs that I drove two of late last year as part of their tour didn't have any noisemakers installed.

 

The fact that it can be turned off is a big mitigating factor. The one I test drove the salesman had already turned it off before I got in the car. As I commented earlier in this thread, I think back-up beepers (like construction equipment has) is a good idea. I like the back-up beeper with the on/off switch in my Xebra. I wish my Tesla had that. OTOH, it was pretty cool yesterday when I was parked in a residential neighborhood, top off, and some people were standing nearby, and I started the car and then pulled away silently, and they stared open-mouthed, at this obvious sports car making zero noise.

 

I rarely drive in the cities, so having an off switch would be important to me... Or a pair of wire snippers and a wiring diagram. One of the features that I enjoy on my Prius is being able to drive through my neighborhood silently. My DD8 and I stop at the entrance and try to make it all the way through to our house without the ICE engaging. It's the silent approach to home. It isn't as easy as it seems, we have hills in the neighborhood.

I think a couple neighbors think the car is full electric because they haven't heard it running. What speed will this sound on the Leaf be turned on? Next we will require bicycles to have cards in the spokes and people riding on Segways will have to sing as the glide.

 

As a LEAF owner, I turn off the noise maker most of the time when I drive - it's simply not needed most of the time.

When I do find it's needed (busy parking lots with pedestrians bumbling about), I turn it on. If there were a way to have the noise maker default to off, I'd prefer that - but it's not that big a deal to me.

 

Oh - is that the reason you wanted to hear the sound ? Good that you finally could hear it at Younker's.

The noise doesn't bother me at all - it just comes on below 15 mph and I can't hear it when the windows are closed. Even with windows open, I can barely hear the forward one and the noise isn't annoyning at all.

This was one of those storms in a tea cup back when all of us were worried about it.

 

I give credit to Nissan for the on/off switch. The noise is available when you want it (especially backing out of blind parking slots in a parking lot) and not there when you don't. The back-up noise should be on (if the switch is on!) any time the car is in reverse gear, so that pedestrians can hear it before you start to back up. I don't know if it is or not.

 

That was partly why... I was just also curious, in general.

Yeah, I couldn't hear the forward noise when the windows were closed either.

I had the organizer give me ride on the freeway. On part of the trip, he had to turn around and went into a parking lot. It turned out to be Ford dealer... I'd imagine the worker we saw outside was giving his car a funny look esp. when it was emitting both the forward and reverse noises.

 

Keenan Thompson of Saturday Nite Live pretty much solved the noise choice problem once already.
We had better not give him more comedy material.

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