Nissan’s first EV, the Leaf, is set to go on sale in the not too distant future.  Some people are concerned that the Leaf, along with the bevy of other EVs that will be hitting the road next year will pose a risk because of how quiet they are.

Most people, especially the blind, can hear cars coming from a long way out and know to stop before they have a chance to look.  If the car is powered by an electric motor and uses only batteries then it doesn’t make nearly as much noise as their gas powered brethren.

To alleviate this concern Nissan has announced that it will add a sound effect to the car while in motion so that it also has a distinct sound.  Early reports are that they are going to use an effect very similar to the one used in Blade Runner.  So now we know how all those cars in the future make all those neat sounds.