Nissan Developing Exhaust Note for LEAF

Nissan engineers in Franklin and Japan are working to develop an artificial exhaust sound for the otherwise noiseless LEAF. The five-passenger electric vehicle rolls out in select markets late next year.

The need for noise isn’t a safety issue, though pedestrian advocates say stealthy electric cars do pose potential threats. Nissan executive vice president Carlos Tavares says engineers have spent years tuning the exhaust note for the company’s sports cars. He says drivers expect some kind of audible feedback from their vehicle.

“I think it’s important for the overall pleasure that you will experience driving this car.”

Tavares says Nissan’s LEAF will have a signature sound. He says the debate within the company is whether to use that same sound for all future electric vehicles.

Because of strong initial demand for Nissan’s first zero-emission electric car, Nissan now plans to start taking reservations in the spring. According to a statement from Nissan, nearly 22-thousand people in North America have contacted the company since unveiling the vehicle in August.

The Japanese-made LEAF goes on sale late next year. Then Nissan’s factory in Smyrna will begin producing the electric vehicles in 2012.