The Nissan LEAF’s Secret (Ninja-esque) Race through Town

Prior to delving into the content of today’s blog post, indulge us just a bit. We have a scenario you’ve probably lived through –not only does it set up the story for today, it also underscores the achievement of Nissan’s LEAF.

You’re nestled in bed with fluffed pillows and fresh, cool sheets. The faint hum of the ceiling fan actually helps lull you to that numbing twilight – a relaxing state not quite conscious, not quite dreaming – seconds before you’re whisked away by sleep. A sudden roar and burble evokes an immediate fight-or-flight response, knocking away the sheets and clumsily planting both feet on the floor. Awake. Wide awake. The growl of the engine revs before finally fading into the distance, taking its riotous pounding to another unwitting area of the community.

That scenario is the exact reason for International Noise Awareness Day (INAD) – and one of many reasons to purchase a Nissan LEAF.

The Center for Hearing and Communication launched INAD as an effort in bringing attention to the disruptive and damaging effects of exposure to noise: impaired mental performance, insomnia, high blood pressure, and greater chances of motor vehicle injuries just to name a few. We were surprised by these consequences, because noise, to us, was nothing more than an innocuous inconvenience.

Photo: AutoBlog

To help promote INAD, Nissan took its all-electric LEAF model to the streets of “one of Europe’s quietest villages” in the middle of the night. This activity demonstrated the noise reduction of zero-emissions vehicles compared to standard combustible engines by driving four Nissan LEAFs through Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur. In the video provided below, you’ll witness these vehicles race among the many streets without waking a single resident – despite harming a few trashcans in the filming of this video. Is there a trashcan rights group out there? Don’t tell them.

Director of the Center for Hearing and Communication, Laurie Hanin, thought it was “exciting to see Nissan showing off the benefits of their all-electric car, the Nissan LEAF, in this video highlighting that as well as being friendly to the environment, it is also friendly to the community by reducing noise pollution.”

Since it seems that all-electric vehicles will take up a significant role in our future, it is important to highlight all of its benefits. Jean-Pierre Diernax, Nissan Europe’s Director of Electric Vehicles, felt compelled to emphasize that what “surprises people most about the Nissan LEAF is the feeling of near silence; It is incredibly liberating and makes for a very relaxing driving experience. Most of the noise you hear when a Nissan LEAF is running at low speed in town is actually artificially created to help alert pedestrians to the vehicle’s presence.”

INTERESTING FACT:

A Nissan LEAF’s engine, when running, is 21 decibels.

A ceiling fan, when running, is 26 decibels.

Enjoy the video, and make sure you stop down at Leith Nissan in Cary to speak with one of our brand specialists regarding the Nissan LEAF or any of our other great, reliable models.