Toyota Motor Corp. is set to release an alarming device for its quiet Prius hybrid car later this month in a bid to warn pedestrians, the business has announced.
There have been some claims that the engine noise of hybrid and electric cars is barely audible for pedestrians to notice approaching vehicles, specially when they're moving at low speeds.
Toyota is going to be the world's initial automaker to launch an accessory to alert pedestrians of approaching vehicles. The alarm system will cost a total of some 20,000 yen, including the installation cost. The new item will become obtainable at Toyota car or truck dealers nationwide from Aug. 30.
The alarm technique produces a fake motor noise from a dedicated speaker attached to the vehicle's engine compartment, which is as loud as that of conventional gasoline cars. The tone becomes higher as the automobile speeds up, but it stops when the driving speed exceeds 25 kilometers per hour. The technique may be switched off by remote control.
The automaker is also planning to release similar warning equipment for other hybrid models. It has yet to choose regardless of whether to pre-install the system to every hybrid model as standard gear.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s i-MiEV electric car will also come equipped with an alarm process for pedestrians from this autumn, as well as Nissan Motor's new Fuga hybrid model and Leaf electric vehicle -- both of which are scheduled to hit the market later this year.
Meanwhile, Honda Motor Co. said it will not introduce such a technique, saying, "The engine of our hybrid vehicle is running all the time, so it requires no artificial noise."
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