Nissan LEAF
Just when you thought the Nissan LEAF mania was beginning to subside, the Green Car Advisor team posted this video of a test drive of the LEAF's powertrain. The drive took place at the automaker's track in Oppama, Japan last week.
Apparently, GCA's wily auto journalists convinced Fernando Menezes, of Nissan's corporate communications department to let them ride in the back of the LEAF test mule to "try their new cell phone sized video camera." That's car fanatic speak for "glean as much information as we can about your new EV and record it for YouTube." In any case, Menezes didn't seem to mind.
Judging by the brief glimpses of the cockpit in the video, it appears that this was a LEAF in Nissan Versa clothing. It didn't take long for the telltale auditory cues of an electric vehicle to betray the costume though. As the driver accelerates, a faint whir of increasing pitch is barely perceptible. Otherwise, the only sounds are those of wind noise, bumps in the road and the occasional commentary of the occupants.
This brings to the forefront a question that the hearing impaired community has repeatedly raised with regard to hybrid and electric vehicles. Are they too quiet?
Will EV soundtracks be the next frontier of the car customization business? Tell us what you think.
Source: Green Car Advisor
