Nissan announced a new type of sound damping that is ultra lightweight but just as effective as standard sound damping, it said.
It uses lattice structure polypropylene covered with a thin layer of plastic that ‘bounces out sound waves.’ It was shown in its new Ariya concept car and the product, called meta-material, will be included in Nissan vehicles going forward.
Most OEMs use heavy rubber and fiber mats under the carpet, which increases weight.
Nissan’s meta-material traps the low frequency vibrations where most road noise lies (500Hz to 1,200HZ), said CNET.
Nissan has been researching meta-material for over a decade.
The Ariya, shown at CES, is an electric SUV with 300 mile range due at the end of this year. It is expected to be the the “big brother” to the Nissan Leaf.
Photo: Nissan meta-material demo at CES
Maybe they should have been working on developing a better power management system for the Leaf so it doesn’t toast batteries so quickly?