News Nissan innovation that makes cars quieter wins Popular Science award

‘Acoustic meta-material’ noise-reducing technology recognized in Best of What’s New Awards

Nissan scientist looking through meta-material
Nissan meta-material
Nissan meta-material
Nissan meta-material
Nissan scientist presenting meta-material
Nissan scientists testing meta-material

YOKOHAMA, Japan (Dec. 10th, 2020) – A Nissan innovation that can help make cars quieter and more energy efficient has won an award from Popular Science.

The noise-reducing technology, known as acoustic meta-material, received a 2020 Popular Science Best of What’s New Award in the automotive category. 

Established in 1872, Popular Science is one of the U.S.’s oldest and most trusted brands, reporting on groundbreaking innovations and discoveries. The Best of What’s New Awards recognize breakthrough products and technologies that represent significant advancements in their categories.

Nissan’s acoustic meta-material is a new lightweight sound insulation material. Its makeup is simple: A combination of a lattice structure and plastic film controls air vibrations to limit the transmission of wide frequency band noise (500-1200 hertz), such as road and engine noise. While most materials used to isolate this frequency band consist mainly of heavy rubber board, Nissan’s acoustic meta-material is one-fourth the weight yet provides the same degree of sound isolation.

The material represents a breakthrough by Nissan engineers in their effort to offer customers a relaxing, quiet cabin while reducing vehicle weight and thereby improving mileage.

“We plan to use acoustic meta-material in a wide range of applications – not only in luxury cars and electric vehicles, but also in vehicles where the use of heavy sound insulation materials has been limited,” said Susumu Miura, Nissan’s advanced material engineer in charge of the acoustic meta-material project. “Through development and use of this material, we aim to make our customers’ driving experience more comfortable and enjoyable.” 

Acoustic meta-material is currently under development for commercialization and represents how Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology is being developed to enhance the driving experience.

About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2016, the company sold 5.63 million vehicles globally, generating revenues of 11.72 trillion yen. In fiscal 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.OV.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30 per cent increase in annualised revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with a core operating profit margin of 8 per cent and cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolised by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999. In 2016, Nissan acquired a 34 per cent stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world’s largest automotive partnership, with combined annual sales of more than 10 million vehicles a year.

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