Hi folks. New 2018 Prius (base, Canada) owner here. After three months I am curious about the day to day sounds this car makes when accelerating and decelerating. This only came up when I went out for a drive in a friend's 2018 Nissan Leaf yesterday which was incredibly quiet (although my friend said she can occasionally hear the motor). So, this is what I hear: A low whine when accelerating from stop. Also, when decelerating to stop I hear a "slow down" whine. And sometimes when accelerating and decelerating at low speeds (like in a parking lot) I hear the "slow down" whine followed by a faint buzz. These are all quiet sounds and I am assuming I am hearing the electric motors. I have not owned a hybrid before, so can't compare it to anything. Throwing this out there to other Gen 4 owners, does this all sound normal? And secondly, are these indeed the electric motors I am hearing? Thanks in advance. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
There are two sounds that you could possibly be hearing: 1. The inverter whine which should be similar to the LEAF. 2. The “Vehicle Pedestrian Notification System” which is a sound that increases in pitch as you increase in speed from 0 to about 25km/h.
The sound is mainly the 2 Motor-Generators, both driving or generating. In many driving situations it's almost imperceptible when the Engine (ICE) fires up. Putting this display shows most accurately what's going on: There's a similar one in the radio unit. PRIUS has many sounds - as you walk up to the car, unlock, get in, there are at least ½ doz - maybe even double that - sounds, whirrs, clicks, creaks, beeps, wheezes, hisses. And that's before you start it. The only thing it doesn't do is roar or burp. OK - I exaggerate slightly, but it's been discussed at length with PRIUS over the years. This video gives a broad idea about how the HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) works: If you have more like ½ hr, this shows it in more detail (there's also a 1½ hr version of this)
I enjoy hearing all the various distinct sounds. Thats what makes it a Prius. Sometimes I turn the radio off while driving, and just listen....
Video on The Sounds of a 2016 Prius This is a great video, that really helped me, after I first ventured into the Prius universe. It shows you nearly all of the sounds you're likely to hear.
Thank to all! This is a great forum. The "Sounds of the Prius" YouTube video was especially helpful. I didn't think to type in "Prius sounds" into YouTube as I thought the topic was a bit too esoteric. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Nice video. But in all honesty, NONE of our cars are THAT loud. He amplified the sound. Why not just make a video using the real sound level? But the tire noise you hear when he's cruising... Yep, thats mine.
I guess the point of the video is to be useful to identify the noises a Prius makes, and for that the video needs to have them loud enough to be clear and identifiable. Saves people cranking their device's volume up full too.
What device volume can we crank up? I think only the pedestrian warning, which I cant hear at all, or just barely when right next to a building. (That subject has been beat to death.) Now, in normal everyday operafion, I only hear two sounds: -- When opening the driver's door, I faintly hear the brake pump activation "buzz." And hear it again each time after coming to a stop. -- I hear the Star Trek "whir" sound briefly when accelerating after the light turns green. And hear something similar again when slowing to a stop. If the radio is on when driving, or the AC fan speed is moderately high, I usually dont hear any hybrid sounds. (Only the persistant tire noise! Nothing cancels that out )
I created this post out of curiosity, not as a complaint. These sounds are very quiet, but also very distinctive. "Star Trek whir" is a nice was of putting it. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
I don't understand why it bothers so many people. It's only on very briefly, backing up my driveway. (Reminds me of the big mail trucks I used to drive. ) Toyota should have put that sound on the outside, too? That would surely irritate the neighbors.
They used to sell back up light bulbs that replaced a standard light bulb and it made the beeping sound like in the Prius but it was meant for people to hear to keep me from running over them. How many old vans did you see with damage to the right rear corner?
