Mar 19, 2008 1:46 pm US/Pacific
Making Some Fake Noise for a Sporty Hybrid
John DeFore
March 18, 2008
Automakers have known for a few years that electric or hybrid vehicles could be designed to appeal not only to treehuggers but to drivers having more in common with
Talladega Nights hero Ricky Bobby — those who simply want to go fast.
One of the problems
facing designers who tailor a hybrid for high performance instead of long range (aside from the inherent negatives of trading economy for G-force acceleration) is that an
electric car doesn't go "
vvroooom!"
Well, they didn't until now: American carmaker Fisker Automotive told
Forbes recently that their upcoming
Karma — a plug-in hybrid with a top speed of 125 mph and a sleek design to complement its cute name — will actually have audio speakers wired up to make their car sound, in the words of company head Henrik Fisker, "like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane."
While that innovation may be largely intended to help thrill-seeking drivers re-create the experience of piloting a gas-guzzling sportscar, it also does address a safety concern some observers have raised about electric autos: Pedestrians, particularly the visually impaired, are less able to avoid cars whose speedy approach they can't hear.
The four-door sport sedan is expected to cost around $80,000. While the manufacturer plans to make 15,000 a year, the entire run for 2009 has already sold out in advance; customers eager to reserve one for delivery in 2010 can do so for $1,000
here.
(Copyright © 2009 | Distributed by Noofangle Media)
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