The future sound of Nissan’s electric vehicles is called Canto, and it sounds a lot like a mobile phone’s ringtone. Nissan debuted the new noise with the autonomous IMx electric-vehicle concept (pictured above) at the Tokyo auto show. The soothing sound activates between 12 and 19 mph to alert those outside the vehicle that it’s in motion. There are specific tones and pitches to distinguish among forward acceleration, braking, and backing up.
Canto isn’t Nissan’s first experiment with adding auxiliary sound to its electric vehicles. Earlier in the decade, it added an external noise generator to the Leaf electric vehicle to alert pedestrians of the car’s presence. That sound, though, lacked the distinct tones of Canto.
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While Canto’s ringtone-like sound is a pleasant enough way to ensure safety, we hope that Nissan will eventually offer additional external sounds as options for its EV owners to choose. How cool would it be if an electric vehicle let drivers choose something like the sound of Darth Vader’s labored breathing in low-speed driving situations? Listen to Canto in the video below.
Despite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg's career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend.
