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New rules will make electric and hybrid vehicles safer for pedestrians

A five-year transitional period has now ended for all new models of electric cars sold in the EU: they must now make artificial noise under certain conditions

Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems (AVAS) will need to be installed in new models of hybrid and electric cars developed and sold in the European Union from July 1st onward, and all existing models by July 2021.

Due to the absence of an internal combustion engine, electric vehicles can be a lot quieter than their gas-powered counterparts, so pedestrians can struggle to hear quiet electric and hybrid vehicles coming. This lack of noise can mean that they pose a danger to other road users, especially people who are blind or partially sighted.

For that reason, with an AVAS installed, vehicles will need to make a sound while traveling under 12 mph, or while reversing.

Each manufacturer will be able to decide what their AVAS will sound like, but the EU,s legislation says that the sound should be similar to (and not louder than) a traditional combustion engine

More info: https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/fe98a835-e656-11e3-8cd4-01aa75ed71a1/language-en