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Nissan News
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While the allure of electric vehicles exists, many still find one aspect off-putting: the sound... or lack thereof. Aside from the familiarity of conventional motor grunts and growls, there’s also a safety function—a roaring engine alerts pedestrians to an oncoming automobile. Fortunately, Nissan’s forward-thinking brain trust is developing “Canto,” a concept buzz of sorts for future EVs.

Canto is an audible sound that has nuance. While not the typical growl many are accustomed to, it’s nonetheless a more musical, higher-pitched buzz that warns those on-foot and also eliminates the arguably uncanny silence of EVs. You can experience the concept phenomenon via the video below, which was filmed at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.





Pleasing, isn’t it? Moreover, Canto is intelligent. Depending on what a Nissan platform is doing—slowing down, accelerating, or going in reverse—the system will alter its pitch and tone to reflect the vehicle’s state. Further, the sound will only activate at junctures mandated by the local market and its regulations. This will vary, but by default, it snaps into action when the EV reaches between 20 and 30 KPH.

Swing by our Kirkland Nissan dealership today to learn more about the plans for Canto!
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