Volt to Get “Soundtrack” to Warn Pedestrians when in Electric Mode

Volt Photos

The Volt, shown here at the Sao Paulo Motor Show, will be getting a "soundtrack" to warn pedestrians that a car is approaching while in full electric mode. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Weber wants the Volt to provide "intuitive feedback" to tell the driver "what state it is in", unlike most HEVs on the road today. (Photo: GM)

Have you ever been calmly walking through a shopping mall parking lot only to have a hybrid vehicle sneak up behind, totally unannounced? While the prospect of completely silent mobility might sound glorious for those un-enamored with the infernal combustion engine, there are safety concerns worth considering now that HEVs have become so popular.

Chevrolet is about to address these safety issues with the advent of its upcoming 2010 Volt. A soundtrack will play when the car is in full electric mode so as to warn pedestrians of an oncoming vehicle, but this is where it gets odd. According to E-Flex vehicle line executive, Frank Weber as reported on Autoblog, the Volt will make a similar sound to when “you hear the doors close, or use the transporter” on the USS Enterprise. Say what? Chevy’s green flagship is turning to Star Trek for auditory cues? OK, in context his full quote, as seen on GM-volt.com is a little less geeky:

“The sound of the car should be highly technical, but should have no relation at all to a combustion engine; it should be highly pleasing, almost imperceptible as to what’s (actually) happening. I always compare the sound you would expect from the Volt is like when on spaceship enterprise you hear the doors close, or use the transporter.  This is the type of character you would expect from power electronics; you cannot hear it, but the car would have its own sounds rather than imitating (a combustion engine).”

When asked whether or not GM was planning any artificial sounds for the Volt, with respect to the visually impaired Weber stated:

“This is a different thing. We have something that’s called a pedestrian friendly alert. You would activate it as a driver. It is more pleasing (than a horn) and you would activate it much like you would your high-beam.  This is how you would use it below 25 miles per hour.”

Weber continued, “The other thing that you have to do since the car is quiet, when you start it, today the experience today of turning on a conventional car is an important experience when it provides confidence power feedback, many things are happening psychologically in this moment.  What we definitely will do is considering some of the competitor hybrids today are weak in that regard, is we will provide very clear and intuitive feedback from the car telling you what state it is in.”

While some would like that soundtrack to be a high-powered V8, it will more likely be the Trekkie sounds Weber referred to. Either way, the Volt will be safer to pedestrians, visually impaired or not, if it makes some level of noise, and more pleasing to those inside.

As long as they don’t allow the ability to download personal preference soundtracks like cell phones do, we won’t have our environment polluted with Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up clashing with Megadeth’s Holy Wars as two Volts  pull up to a stoplight.