The 2011 Chevy Volt will run nearly silently.  An “Extended-Range Electric Vehicle,” the Volt can drive under battery power alone for up to 40 miles before its gasoline engine starts – meaning that it makes no engine noise to warn pedestrians of its presence.

Because of its virtual silence, CNBC reports, “GM has built in a "chirp" for drivers to announce/warn pedestrians when they are driving by. This chirp is gentler than a car horn blaring and drivers sound it by pulling on the turn signal much as you would for turning on your high beams.”  CNBC’s Phil LeBeau, one of the few journalists given a test drive of a pre-production Volt, thinks “Volt drivers will love the chirp.”

Others aren’t so sure.  Watching the video of LeBeau’s test drive, Jalopnik writes, the chirp “annoys the crap out of you after 32 pulls of the chirp-lever.”

We also have to question the safety of the setup.  The chirp, after all, requires drivers to pull a lever in order to warn pedestrians – and those who worry about the silence of electric cars might not want to rely on drivers to pay that much attention.

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