Photo: Harman
Ever since electric cars began gaining traction a decade ago, a battle started to make these silent machines noisier for the good of all road users. The victory bells marking the end of that battle in the European Union will be heard on July 1.
It is then when the Regulation on the Sound Level of Motor Vehicle comes into effect to help EVs and hybrids make their presence known to pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users by generating some type of sound.
The rule will apply in the member states to all new private and commercial electric and hybrid vehicles sold from July 1. Officially, the system these cars need to be equipped with is called Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS).
According to the provisions of the regulation, AVAS will be automatically engaged when the vehicle is moving at speeds of up to 20 kph (12 mph) and when the car is moving in reverse.
The type of sound is not specified, but it must be potent enough to be above 56 dB – about as loud as an electric toothbrush – and not exceed 75 dB, the sound level of an average internal combustion car.
“Given the ever-increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on our roads, the risk to pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable groups has risen exponentially over the years,” said in a statement Rajus Augustine, director of Car Audio at Harman, one of the companies producing such systems.
“AVAS technologies such as HALOsonic eESS offer an affordable and effective way of increasing pedestrian awareness of an approaching EV in noisy urban environments.”
The legislation that will come into effect next month has been under review in European Union countries since 2013. That same year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started working on its own version of AVAS legislation, requiring sound to be generated by EVs moving at less than 18.6 mph (30 km/h).
The rule will apply in the member states to all new private and commercial electric and hybrid vehicles sold from July 1. Officially, the system these cars need to be equipped with is called Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS).
According to the provisions of the regulation, AVAS will be automatically engaged when the vehicle is moving at speeds of up to 20 kph (12 mph) and when the car is moving in reverse.
The type of sound is not specified, but it must be potent enough to be above 56 dB – about as loud as an electric toothbrush – and not exceed 75 dB, the sound level of an average internal combustion car.
“Given the ever-increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on our roads, the risk to pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable groups has risen exponentially over the years,” said in a statement Rajus Augustine, director of Car Audio at Harman, one of the companies producing such systems.
“AVAS technologies such as HALOsonic eESS offer an affordable and effective way of increasing pedestrian awareness of an approaching EV in noisy urban environments.”
The legislation that will come into effect next month has been under review in European Union countries since 2013. That same year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started working on its own version of AVAS legislation, requiring sound to be generated by EVs moving at less than 18.6 mph (30 km/h).
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