El grupo estará compuesto por expertos, policías, fabricantes, consumidores y representantes de asociaciones de ciegos, que a finales de año deberán presentar un informe con sus conclusiones.
Mientras los tonos puedan ser configurados (y desactivados) por el conductor, no habrá protestas de los amantes del silencio. El silencio es una de las muchas bazas de los automóviles eléctricos, aunque ya empresas como Fisker y Lotus pensaran en esta clase de problemas antes de que ningún gobierno les obligara a tomar cartas en el asunto.
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Japan considers adding noise to electric cars
It’s been talked up before, but the transport ministry in Japan is currently seriously considering forcing car manufacturers of near-silent electric vehicles to add sound to their motors.
"We have received opinions from automobile users and visually-impaired people that they feel electric vehicles are dangerous", a transport ministry official told.
"Blind people depend on sounds when they walk, but there are no engine sounds from hybrid vehicles when running at low speed".
A panel of experts including the police and groups representing the visually-impaired have met to discuss the matter and, after the first meeting, decided that a "sound-making function" should be introduced.
This would mean electric cars would be manufactured to create noise when in electric mode.
