Ford Motor Company wants its 2012 Focus electric car to, ahem, “resonate” with consumers.
In response to new federal regulations announced on July 7, all unobtrusively quiet vehicle – including EVs and hybrids – will soon have to hum, whir, or thrum so that they can't be missed on approach at speeds of 15 miles per hour or less.
The goal is to give a gentle heads-up to unwary pedestrians and the visually impaired, but not to cause a ruckus.
Now, the folks at Ford want to make sure that their new noise is not annoying. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has asked fans on Facebook to rate their top pick among four proposed sounds the car could make.
Those who click on the site – and there have been thousands so far – can visit four YouTube (News - Alert) links, each with a unique noise, and then pick their favorite. So far, choice A is the winner, with more than 55,000 votes, but you can change all that when it’s your turn to choose.
And there’s room for comments, too.
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Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
