Toyota Explains, Demonstrates Noisemaker coming standard in all 2012 Prius models

Now, this would really work.

 

It appeared in the Japanese video that there was an off or silence button. I wonder if we will have the same button or the ability to turn it off without disabling it ourselves?

 

This is absolute BS! I am pissed off that Toyota is seriously going to do this. Did I miss the memo that this a new legislated requirement?

I hate that noise and will disable it completely! I can just imagine 10 years from now at an intersection full of hybrids and full of these noises -- I think it would drive every pedestrian crazy! I can't stand the noise of stalled traffic at an intersection, especially those with the radio cranked up to compete with jet engine noise. I don't want more noise. I want less.

Where are the statistics / risk assessment that proves that this is worth the cost? How many pedestrians are being hit by quiet hybrids going < 15mph? I'll bet practically ZERO! I would think there are many other automotive hazards worth preventing first (such as reverse roll-over deaths of small children).

Wouldn't it be a much cheaper burden on society to provide blind people with a device that warns them of nearby hazards? Not just quiet cars, but all hazards? If not already true, there will soon be many more hybrids and EVs than there are blind people.

What about bicycles that scream by at 20-25 mph? Not sure if there are statistics on this, but I'll bet they are more of a hazard to blind pedestrians than are hybrids at 5-10 mph.

Here's a concept: put the responsibility upon the driver to pay attention and drive carefully! Feel free to use the horn! And massively increase the penalties/punishment for being distracted while driving. I see drivers all the time with their cellphone up to their ears -- apparently California's small fine isn't working.

How about a visual infrared system that detects all creatures near a car and warns the driver in some fashion? Oh wait, these are already being developed.

 

Funny, I was thinking how nice and quiet my car was today , and I read this...

I question the reality that the Prius is that much nosier that some other small cars on the market today...

 

The Jetson's sound would... be... epic!

 

I find it funny that Toyota obviously went to some lengths to NOT call it a noisemaker. It is instead a "Vehicle Proximity Notification System".

So take heart those that dislike the idea. That's not an annoying spaceship like sound emminating from The Prius...that's the sound of "Notification".

 

Give me the Jetson's sound and I'll install it on my Gen II Prius.

 

Hey, my first post to priuschat. FYI, my 2005 has a lifetime avg of ~54 mpg, ~83K miles. Love the Bubble.

Now that my spouse's car is aging, I'm looking for another Prius. In another year or so I'll be giving my Prius to my child and wish to get another - a potential 3 Prii family. But only if the extremely irritating generated noise at low speeds can be disabled!!!!!

Whether driving my bicycles (many more miles than my Prius) or riding in my car, I have to be alert for others on the road. To dictate that I generate noise so some bubble-head with headphones can hear me over the din of his "music" irritates me to no end. Noise pollution (and light pollution) should be avoided. In all my miles driving I've never come close to hitting a pedestrian or bicyclist. How dare Toyota *require* such noise all the time when we already have the responsibility and means to avoid hitting others.

 

Instead of the noisemaker, why not just install a bigger/louder inverter to capture more regen?

I'm going to trust you on this one. In the video it sounds like a squealing engine belt that needs to be replaced. I like the comments on the Youtube video (click on the video to go to the Youtube page). People are suggesting the noisemaker sound like the engine noise of a muscle car or Ferrari.

What they don't show in the video is that after the Prius pulls away, the guy puts his iPod earphones in and a distracted full-size SUV driver on a cell phone plows over him. Toyota probably edited it out because it was too bloody to post on Youtube.

Euopean pedestrian safety front end plus Prius (not a full size SUV) going only 10mph is a major threat to a pedestrian? With that Euro front end, the pedestrian will just be pushed out of the way like a snow plow and snow. No harm done.

So much for driving 5mph with the windows down in the quiet country and listening to nature and peace!!!! I'll have to use a new, quiet conventional gas car to do that. (the Prius has an EV button. Now it needs a "gas" button to silence the squealing)

.

 

Wow... Seriously we need to write some strongly worded emails to Toyota on how stupid this is. If there is not a disable switch for it, that will be the first thing to go if I get a newer gen and it will have a ritualistic beating like the copier machine in Office Space.

 

The new Prius sounds a bit familiar:

 

OMG! LOL! ROFL! I can't stop laughing!!!

Since my wife makes me stop at each rest stop, the Tinkle sound on all the time would be payback

 

That is a good idea. I just sent an E mail to Toyota. Here is their page where you can click on a method to contact them and E mail is one of the options.

http://www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html


There should be an off switch for this noisemaker. I am a careful driver and I don't need screeching noise coming from my car to warn pedestrians. Also I think the sound of the tires on the road make sound to warn pedestrians in most cases. This is another case of political correctness carried to an extreme.



I am glad I found out about this now because it will definitely affect thinking on whether I should wait for a 2012 Prius or buy a 2011. I may buy a 2011 because of this decision by Toyota.

The 2011 Prius might be the last official nice quiet Prius that so many have come to know and love.

 

I don't envy the Toyota Engineer in the video saying the load of c**p. And saying "we", like as if he designed the thing - "they" in Japan designed it and you are just a sales guy...
Apart from that, I never read of blind people being hit by a car. Or a bicycle, that's quieter BTW. Actually blind people are the ones who are really taking care of their surroundings when they walk on the sidewalk.
Pedestrians are simply distracted, don't look, no matter how noisy the car is, or not. And I would gladly run over the a*****e playing on his phone, possibly with headphones, drinking his Starbucks, like as if he is on his couch at home.
This whole thing is *so* stupid.
BTW: they don't say if the thing turns off when the engine of the Prius is on....!!!!
And when we are going to get more and more hybrids and electric cars, neighbourhoods and 30km/h areas will become huge bees nests!!!!

 

This really blows and totally defeats the purpose of Prius ownership by rival drug gangs involved in stealth drive-bys! What were they thinking?

 

The noise sucks and I agree that Toyota needs to offer a way to disable the sound. I'm glad I just bought a 2011.

 

Sounds like a badly defect wheel bearing to me !
I know for sure the the Japs have a button to turn the noise off !
I saw it in a PDF-file of the Japanese manual for the Prius v ( Prius Alpha ) .

You can also see it here at about 6.27-6.29 of the Video :

 

I sent an E mail to Toyota and asked if this noisemaker is indeed on all 2012 Prius and if there is an off switch. I told them I will not buy a car which makes this noise all the time at low speeds. Received a computer response which says they will respond to me as soon as possible.

I have not read of this noisemaker in any of the reviews I've read about the 2012 Prius.
I wonder if the reviews were written before they knew the noisemaker was coming.

I guess I shouldn't be too upset as I still have the option to buy a 2011 Prius, and maybe I can even get a good price with the 2012's on the way.