Silent electric cars to get 'Star Wars' sound

[Still Waters]

Their noiseless glide has seen them dubbed the silent killers of the road.

But electric cars could soon be given special 'signature tunes' so that pedestrians can hear them coming and avoid stepping out into their path.

The decision comes following concerns from road safety experts that the 'green' credentials of the zero-emission cars may be overshadowed by a rising accident and death toll caused by the fact that they are so eerily quiet.

Regulators in the European Union, Japan and the United States are considering allowing manufacturers an array of sounds - from the conventional brum brum car engines to sci-fi sounds from Star Wars.

They could even develop individual 'signature' sounds to differentiate them on the road.

Research by the University of California highlighted the noiseless dangers of electric cars in a recent study which found that hybrid vehicles came 40 per cent closer to pedestrians than their combustion engine counterparts before they could detected.

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[BiffSplitkins]

I would want the Speed Buggy sound chip put in my car.

Edited May 5, 2010 by BiffSplitkins

[Voyager10]

I want my car to sound like this:

[J.B.]

Drive tones! Ringtones for your car! Could you imagine the killing you'd make selling those? I mean, if they stick a small computer in the car capable of controlling the sounds made, you could download for-sale cartones to be played.

[J Gab]

Drive tones! Ringtones for your car! Could you imagine the killing you'd make selling those? I mean, if they stick a small computer in the car capable of controlling the sounds made, you could download for-sale cartones to be played.

I really have no desire to hear the latest pop craze in order to know a car is coming. Because you know there'll be hackers that'll do that. Every computer winds up hacked, especially if it plays sounds.

[chaoszerg]

great that is gonna go down well if I am ever in a hit and run with a electric car.

Officer - So Mr chaoszerg what can you remember about the incident?

Me - well officer all I remember is crossing the road and then all of a sudden I heard a Tie fighter coming from behind me and then something hit me and I blacked out.

Officer - A tie fighter? okay Mr chaoszerg had you been drinking at all?

[RickyPrescott]

Yeah... I want my car to sound like a Tie fighter... or like the Millenium Falcon!

[silentsinger]

I would want my car to sound like Sebulbas podracer, love those deep sounds when it passes by

[sam12six]

I really have no desire to hear the latest pop craze in order to know a car is coming. Because you know there'll be hackers that'll do that. Every computer winds up hacked, especially if it plays sounds.

I agree - and also, can you imagine the chaos when there's a (presumably) much larger percentage of these cars on the road and they're all belting out a different "ring tone" all the time?

They should either pick a mechanical noismaker or add pick a standard electronic sound and add regulation stating that the sound can't be changed.

[trancelikestate]

I agree - and also, can you imagine the chaos when there's a (presumably) much larger percentage of these cars on the road and they're all belting out a different "ring tone" all the time?

They should either pick a mechanical noismaker or add pick a standard electronic sound and add regulation stating that the sound can't be changed.

Bah! A standard sound would be boring. I like the idea of cusomized car sounds. Altho I agree that some would be annoying, I'm all for the uniquness of it all

[Grandpa Greenman]

Great idea, I almost hit one with my bike one day. The lady yelled at me, so I avoided the accident. I think it would be cool if you pick the sound it makes.

[Voyager10]

How about one that sounds like a freight train, people would hear it from behind and dive out of the way only to realize it is some tiny electric car, lol

[Davedini]

I WANT IT..... STAR WARS AHHHHHHHHH

[startover]

Sounds crazy to me Just some random noise wouldn't be good enough, it needs to sound like what we are used to hearing. All those different noises would confuse.

[The Cosmic Fluke]

b****in. I want my signature tune to be Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries"

It scares the hell out of the Slopes...

[Agent Darkbootie]

Figured if we got silent cars they'd need to make some kind of noise.

Anyone up for the 80s Batman theme?