Motorists want their hybrid electric vehicle to not only look different than other cars on the road, they want it to act differently as well, insists Dave Lyon, GM’s executive director of interior design for
North America. “Simply putting a ‘hybrid’ badge on a car doesn’t have much impact on other consumers,”
Lyon says, and when paying a premium to conserve fuel, most consumers want those around them to know they’re conserving energy. Unlike a gas engine, batteries are whisper-quiet, and the fear is that a pedestrian could walk into the path of an oncoming electric without hearing it coming. “We’re debating whether we can dial up noise, just like you can by adjusting the ringer level on your cell phone,” he said.

OK. I have many issues here I don’t even know where to start. First of all, when I see one of those hybrid cars fly by me with their “’hybrid’ badge” I think to myself; good for them, they are saving the earth, and when the executives figure out a way for all of us normal people to do and afford this I’ll join in and get my badge. Second, I have a friend that drives a hybrid and she does not say; Gee I wish people could hear me coming to know I’m saving our planet. Lastly, I hear more than enough people flying down the street with their bass up, I really don’t think “dialing up the noise” will really make me stop and look. But the best part was this little section of the blog:

For safety’s sake, “If you can program a song for the ringer on your cell phone, why not for your car? You even could program in a dog bark when you back up if you want.”… That’s what GM is thinking about. What features do you want to see in future hybrids?

            I say we can help save the earth and keep the noise level down. What features do I want to see on future hybrids? Not a dog barking noise coming from my neighbors car telling me every morning they are backing up out of the driveway to head to work. Thanks.