Nissan has debuted it's most recent creation, The Canto. This electric vehicle gets its name from the Latin word for "I sing" and the sound it makes justifies the title. The Canto will emit an almost musical tone whenever the vehicle speeds up, slows down, or reverses. According to Nissan, this tone activates with speeds of 12mph and above.

The aim of this vocalized vehicle is to herald its approach to others. Electric cars are substantially more quiet than your standard combustion engine, and the lower volume will sometimes result in accidents with pedestrians, something Japan has a plentiful amount of. Nissan’s describes the idea behind Canto.

“enrich the aural environment of the typical city street with a distinct Nissan flair. The level of the sound will be clearly audible, without being overly disturbing to pedestrians, residents, and passengers.”


While some are put off by this seemingly unnatural music to come from their car, it is good to see efforts being made to make the world a little more lovely. Though I didn't expect it to be done in such a way as this.

If you want to hear the noise for yourself, Nissan released a very short teaser of the Canto on their YouTube channel, which can be viewed below.