Nissan Leaf brings first-ever holiday 'e-worm' ditty

(December 20, 20919) NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas thanks to the 2020 Nissan Leaf. The model receives several updates, including new pedestrian warning sounds that also make for a catchy holiday ditty. Starting today, in celebration of National Go Caroling Day, the tune will be available for download via popular streaming services by searching Nissan Leaf Canto Carol.

Nissan has licensed the piece to Urban Green Lab for the holiday season; any proceeds accrued between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31 are directly collected by the nonprofit.

The rhythms of the two new sounds from the 2020 Nissan Leaf were combined with "Jingle Bells" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" to create the first-of-its-kind holiday earworm, or "e-worm," with a high-tech electronic feel.

For model year 2020, the two pedestrian safety sounds received updates in tone and volume. For the U.S. market, the all-electric Nissan Leaf makes a constant tone (known as "Canto," derived from the Latin verb for "I sing") for forward movement under 18.6 mph and a pulsing chime when reversing.

The vehicle volume was updated to meet the standards of the U.S. electric vehicle regulations that go into effect Sept. 1. To make the sounds louder, an additional speaker was added inside the engine compartment.

The Nissan Leaf has been the world's best-selling electric car since 2010, according to Nissan.

Also new for 2020, Leaf will come standard with Nissan's Safety Shield 360 technology, a suite of six advanced active safety and driver-assist technologies, to provide drivers with even more peace of mind.