Short answer: yes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13416020



If I have an electrically powered car, it would have to either:
a) Sound like it’s got a [LIFTED] off petrol engine
2) Sound like a car from The Jetsons
iii) Sound like Hong Kong Phooey’s car
or
d) Play ice cream van chimes

Me owning an electrically powered car is a long way off, though.

This!

Something quiet would be terrific, noise levels from cars are terrible where I am, and IIRC they reach dangerous levels in London.

Either that or the 'wakka wakka wakka' PacMan noise.

I would prefer silent. It would keep the rest of us on our toes. Day to day life is far too noisy nowadays.

And knock blind people off their toes.

While I'd love silent vehicles, there are solid practical reasons why there should be some sound. Over the past century or so, we've become accustomed to being able to hear an approaching self-propelled vehicle before we see it.

I guess this is the right time to look at the possibilities. My vote goes for some cartoon car sound, like the Jetsons, or perhaps the Road Runner.

*meep-meep-whoosh!*

Of course cars should be silent, but then they should all be isolated with no risk of people getting involved - subways, overpasses, designated crossing points.

I am of the mind that cars are hideously dangerous things, and a ton of moving metal should look and sound as if it’s going to do you damage. It doesn’t matter how that ton of metal is being propelled - petro-chemicals, batteries, hydrogen, tightly would elastic rubber bands, etc.. Thing is you need to know that it’s coming, and importantly you need to know that before you see it. We are so used to the sound of traffic that if the noise suddenly went away, we’d lose the ability to judge when it’s safe. In effect, we’d be robbing ourselves of the use of a sense.

Would you say the same thing about the London Underground if they made that silent though?
My ideal would be that cars should be hidden away without the chance of hitting people. If it was made difficult to walk across the road (i.e. one had to slide down or climb up a steep bank) then people would use the designated crossing places, just like when people want to cross railway lines.

Yes but think of the money could save in disability payments. /s

The sound would have to be recognisable from a distance, its loudness in proportion to its speed, as well as be acceptable.

Making it the same as a petrol-driven car means you basically don't have to think "ooh what's that?". Nobody's going to car whether it was an electric car that hit them as they roll over the windscreen.

I was thinking about this (RE the whole change/speed thing).

Having the Jetsons sound would be perfect.

The faster you are going the higher the sound

I vote for either a Star Wars I pod racer noise or a soft breeze sound.

As for blind people, could you not fit ultrasound emitters so dogs can hear it?

What about partially sighted people? The ones who aren't quite blind (25% vision or so) so don't get dogs.

Now that I can go for.


Only problem it will not be just dogs who can hear it but every form of wildlife. Though maybe some form of detector which alerts the blind of moving vehicles? Maybe with RFID?