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Toyota has just announced a pedestrian warning system for its Toyota Prius hybrids that will be available as a dealer installed option in Japan.
The system, which costs $148, will engage below 15 mph and change its tone based on vehicle speed. The noise is said to be a synthesized sound that's designed to emulate the whirring of an electric motor, though it sounds to us like a B-movie sound effect of an alien spacecraft. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf will also have similar systems in response to safety advocates who say that the cars are so quiet that pedestrians may not hear them approaching.
If there were a theoretical hack to change the noise to something totally different it would be tempting to ditch the gentle purr of an electric motor for something more sinister – like a velociraptor.
More: Toyota Prius To Be Offered With Pedestrian Alert System In Japan (Video Inside) on AutoGuide.com
