The silent approach of the Prius' hybrid-electric motor is legendary.
…the not-a-peep Prius will soon be drowned out by the news that, as of next week, Toyota will be adding an artificial engine noise to third-generation Prius sold in Japan. Toyota has promised to follow suit in the U.S. but didn't say when.
The aim is to "alert but not annoy" pedestrians when fleets of oncoming Prius are bearing down on them. The noise will kick in automatically when the electric engine is running from zero to about 15 miles per hour and will simulate the roller-coaster pitch of an accelerating vehicle.
This is good news! I've already had one (almost very) bad experience with those quiet cars!
Here's a low tech approach
Rick,
Those things can sneak up on you in a heartbeat. I do new houses only, (stakeout, foundation etc...)and more than once I have been attacked by a hybrid!
Have a great week!
Just goes to show .....
no good deed goes unpunished.
For years we complain about noise polution. Now we complain about the lack of it.
Right / wrong? Darned if I know. I guess you can argue that once you get used to noise you come to expect it. But I sure do like silence when I get away from everything in the deep woods and the only thing I hear is the sound of nature.
Just goes to show .....
Garry Moore (anyone remember Garry Moore) used to call this "the butter box theory", as in a box to keep things warmer, inside of a box to keep things colder.
Next, they'll be suggesting a small fuel burning engine to create the noise.......
Cars are so quiet these days that most of the noise you hear as a car approaches is rubber on pavement. I've had my wife drive by me in "stealth mode" in her Prius and it sounds like any other car as it approaches. Maybe at really low speeds, like < 10 MPH they are silent, but for the most part you can hear them coming.
I remember my first experience with an electric rail train. Not what I was expecting. However, any train can sneak up on you. The rails will begin a ringing sounds as trains approach.
You do get used to the obvious noises after awhile. I can hear the wings of a swarm of wasp in the woods as they are attacking and move away before they are visible.
It took me by surprise that in Saigon the vehicles (car, truck and cycle) have a different distinct beeping noise for right and left directional signals much like the backing up beeper we are accustomed to in the states.
One obvious fact, if you are inside of a R/W, you can expect to get run over if you are not paying attention to the traffic.