Audible pedestrian warning noise

[OlBlueCanDo]

As many have probably noticed on current electric and hybrid vehicles, most have an odd spaceship/ethereal sound emitting from vehicles at low speeds when in EV/Electric mode.

Just wondering if the engineering powers that be have considered using this pedestrian warning noise (not sure if this is a safety requirement or not) as an opportunity to provide options/upgrades for various Scout models/trims.

For example, piping in the reminiscent idle of a vintage 345 when a Scout is coasting/decelerating below 10 mph or is at a stop.

Perhaps there's an opportunity to provide a luxury trim of this audio feature that matches accelerator pedal usage to rev sounds emitted from the external speaker with a toggle feature to only use the pedestrian warning noise and not audio for all acceleration/deceleration.

I know Hollywood has done a spoof/commentary on this in the 2011 movie The Dilemma, but it could add value to the Scout.

 

[J Alynn]

I think there was some early discussions about this in the design thread but certainly worth new discussions and like your idea. A quality idling sound would be a nice throw back and would be better than the space ship sounds (being dramatic here) of so many other EV’s

 

[TaconicBear]

As many have probably noticed on current electric and hybrid vehicles, most have an odd spaceship/ethereal sound emitting from vehicles at low speeds when in EV/Electric mode.

Just wondering if the engineering powers that be have considered using this pedestrian warning noise (not sure if this is a safety requirement or not) as an opportunity to provide options/upgrades for various Scout models/trims.

For example, piping in the reminiscent idle of a vintage 345 when a Scout is coasting/decelerating below 10 mph or is at a stop.

Perhaps there's an opportunity to provide a luxury trim of this audio feature that matches accelerator pedal usage to rev sounds emitted from the external speaker with a toggle feature to only use the pedestrian warning noise and not audio for all acceleration/deceleration.

I know Hollywood has done a spoof/commentary on this in the 2011 movie The Dilemma, but it could add value to the Scout.

I just bought a new Toyota Tundra Limited to haul my Scouts (on trailer) to our shows and gatherings. The Turbo V-6 really is pretty quiet so someone decided that it needed Fake Engine Noise (yes, FEN is Toyota's official term for it). Some &$*/@#$ at Toyota decided that we all wanted to sound like we were burning coal at every stop sign and traffic light. Like many on the Tundra forum, my first trip back to the dealer was to have it turned off. Yes, they hid the control so dealer's could charge their 1/2 hour minimum to shut it off -- it should have been buried in the on-screen Setup options. (My dealer turned it off in 5 minutes at no cost.) Anyway, vehicles are typically a good blind for watching wildlife and we do a lot of that, my RAV4 hybrid can really sneak up on some wild critters when operating in electric only mode. I have always used my old Scouts that way even though they weren't exactly quiet. I want my Scout to be as quiet as possible, no sound more than the crunch of the tires on the trail.

I understand the plea for a pedestrian warning sound, and blowing the horn is too much. But rather than another constant noise in our environment perhaps we could have something akin to a bicycle bell which we could sound when a pedestrian was in need of a warning.

 

[J Alynn]

I just bought a new Toyota Tundra Limited to haul my Scouts (on trailer) to our shows and gatherings. The Turbo V-6 really is pretty quiet so someone decided that it needed Fake Engine Noise (yes, FEN is Toyota's official term for it). Some &$*/@#$ at Toyota decided that we all wanted to sound like we were burning coal at every stop sign and traffic light. Like many on the Tundra forum, my first trip back to the dealer was to have it turned off. Yes, they hid the control so dealer's could charge their 1/2 hour minimum to shut it off -- it should have been buried in the on-screen Setup options. (My dealer turned it off in 5 minutes at no cost.) Anyway, vehicles are typically a good blind for watching wildlife and we do a lot of that, my RAV4 hybrid can really sneak up on some wild critters when operating in electric only mode. I have always used my old Scouts that way even though they weren't exactly quiet. I want my Scout to be as quiet as possible, no sound more than the crunch of the tires on the trail.

I understand the plea for a pedestrian warning sound, and blowing the horn is too much. But rather than another constant noise in our environment perhaps we could have something akin to a bicycle bell which we could sound when a pedestrian was in need of a warning.

The intent is more for blind people crossing roads as well as distracted pedestrians. Allowing distracted drivers at a red light to control it would never work in urban environments. I lay on my horn multiple times a week because people are texting at traffic lights. Ideally it should be a driver function so if you aren’t on designated roadways you can turn it off and have the auto feature that turns it back on when you re-enter main paved roads
I personally do t think dealers should be able to turn off. Too many other idiots on cell phones being distracted. I’d hate to be the one with my sound cut and hit some idiot on their cell phone not looking or paying attention. IMHO

 

[TaconicBear]

The intent is more for blind people crossing roads as well as distracted pedestrians. Allowing distracted drivers at a red light to control it would never work in urban environments. I lay on my horn multiple times a week because people are texting at traffic lights. Ideally it should be a driver function so if you aren’t on designated roadways you can turn it off and have the auto feature that turns it back on when you re-enter main paved roads
I personally do t think dealers should be able to turn off. Too many other idiots on cell phones being distracted. I’d hate to be the one with my sound cut and hit some idiot on their cell phone not looking or paying attention. IMHO

For those whose brain is embedded in their cell phone the only real solution is a fast robotic arm that flies out and grabs the cell out of their grasp and flips it into the nearest storm drain. I doubt even the loudest horn will grab their attention. But you speak mostly of urban situations, I don't. I don't want my SM Scout for urban driving, I have my Toyotas for that; the RAV4's horn is wimpy, but the Tundra's will wake the dead. No, I want the quietest possible vehicle; and personal contol of any noisemakers it comes with -- like the big horn button in the middle of the steering wheel.

 

[J Alynn]

I don’t disagree but you and I seem to be the type that drive with focus and purpose. I’ve learned most don’t. I say urban but keep in mind I’m smack in the middle of Pennsylvania farm country so probably more urban than your location but still rural/suburban and WAY to many people with one focus-CELL PHONES and I just don’t want to be labeled/sentences as accidental vehicular homicide due to someone else’s lack of common sense.
I love the mechanical hand idea. That should be an option on the new scout

 

[Bodie]

I prefer no artificial noise of any kind but if it is a legal requirement, make it as least stupid as possible. If it’s not required, make it a menu option. I’ll let pedestrians take their chances with Darwin.

 

[Albal]

I think the (federally required) pedestrian noise should sound like an engine and be as quiet as legally possible. If the reason you have the noise is to let blind/inattentive people know there's a car operating nearby, why would you have it sound like anything else but a car??

I'd also like the option to automatically shut it off on my property. Allow the user to manually turn it off when on private property and have the car remember that so it happens automatically next time.

I've seen on the Ioniq 5 forum where someone rigged up a remote control button to turn it off and on. It turns out the sound had its own fuse, so setting that up was straightforward. I'd worry about forgetting to turn it back on, though.

 

[TaconicBear]

The intent is more for blind people crossing roads as well as distracted pedestrians. Allowing distracted drivers at a red light to control it would never work in urban environments. I lay on my horn multiple times a week because people are texting at traffic lights. Ideally it should be a driver function so if you aren’t on designated roadways you can turn it off and have the auto feature that turns it back on when you re-enter main paved roads
I personally do t think dealers should be able to turn off. Too many other idiots on cell phones being distracted. I’d hate to be the one with my sound cut and hit some idiot on their cell phone not looking or paying attention. IMHO

You have your points, but I cannot recall the last time I encountered a blind person crossing a road. I'm sure it happens but are we to design everything to address what are statistical absurdities? A horn to refocus a distracted driver or pedestrian is essential, but it is not a constant "fake engine noise" which will not get their attention. As I travel it is very obvious that the convergence of the dark sky advocates and the efficiency of design of LEDs is coming together to significantly reduce light pollution while still maintaining adequate lighting for the purpose. Sound pollution is poised to be the next frontier of cleanup. Those of us with severe hearing loss are well aware that even our $8000 hearing aids are so overwhelmed with environmental sound that they often cannot bring us the spoken words we are trying to understand. As for designing to protect the ambulatory cell phone user, I doubt anything will help until the manufacturers use the built-in pedometers to shut them off when they sense walking motion. I have observed them fall off curbs, and walk into people and obstructions; the survival aspects of the Laws of Ecology will eventually kick in I suppose. We cannot design vehicles to avoid every human foible.

 

[CableMonkey]

The podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz just released an episode about Auto Tone and the future of car sounds:

https://www.20k.org/episodes/autotone