Report: UK government says Nissan Leaf's pedestrian warning system has to go

Late last year, Nissan unveiled its "Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians" (VSP), a technical name for the noise-adding system found on the automaker's Leaf electric vehicle. Introduction of a pedestrian warning system on near-silent vehicles like the Leaf has been the subject of much debate, but with the U.S. House and Senate passing a measure that requires hybrids and plug-in vehicles to emit an audible sound to warn pedestrians, these noise-making setups will soon become standard on all electric-drive autos sold in the U.S.

However, over in the UK, the Nissan Leaf's pedestrian warning system has reportedly been deemed illegal, forcing the automaker to either remove or disable it. A Nissan spokeswoman told The Northern Echo that:

An intermittent beeping noise is fitted as standard to commercial vehicles such as buses and lorries, but UK law states that the sound must be capable of being disabled between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am. The audible system on the Leaf did not allow for that to be done, so the beeping sound is being removed entirely before the cars can be driven on roads in this country.

Unfortunately, removing the noise-making system will likely cause yet another "slight delay" in the delivery process. Still, Nissan remains confident that some UK customers will receive their Leafs before the end of March. Hat tip to Mark!

[Source: The Northern Echo]