NHTSA: Electric cars and hybrids must make sounds when traveling at low speeds

By Bruce Brown Published November 19, 2016

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV — Image used with permission by copyright holder

No more stealth mode for electric cars. Pedestrian safety concerns prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a sound requirement for new hybrid and all-electric light-duty vehicles, as reported by Electrek.

The “Quiet Car” safety rule aims to warn visually impaired and all other pedestrians about moving vehicles traveling at low speed. The sound requirement applies to all four-wheeled electric and hybrid vehicles with gross vehicle weights of 10,000 pounds or less. All new cars built after September 1, 2019, must have the sound feature active when moving up to 19 miles per hour or in reverse. Half of a manufacturer’s new electric and hybrid vehicles must have the audible warning feature one year before the deadline, or September 1, 2018. Tire and wind noise give adequate warnings at higher speeds, according to the NHTSA.

Recommended Videos

The sound rule did not originate with the NHTSA, but meets the 2010 Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act mandate from Congress. That act requires that “hybrid and electric vehicles meet minimum sound requirements to provide an audible alert for blind and visually impaired pedestrians.”

It is estimated that the new rule will help prevent 2,400 pedestrian injuries annually. “This is a common-sense tool to help pedestrians — especially folks who are blind or have low vision — make their way safely,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. “With pedestrian fatalities on the rise, it is vitally important we take every action to protect the most vulnerable road users.”

“This new safety standard moving forward will not just make our streets safer for blind and visually impaired Americans, but also serve as an additional safety cue for all pedestrians who share the streets with hybrid or electric vehicles,” said Eric Bridges, executive director of the American Council of the Blind.

Work on a minimum sound requirement for EVs and hybrids has been ongoing since 2010, when the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act was passed. During discussions and hearings, many concerns were raised about the noise levels, where and when they would be required, and if there would be exceptions in places like national parks. For a full review of the NHTSA study, you can download the draft report here.

Here’s hoping the sounds aren’t as loud and annoying as those made by garbage trucks when they are backing up.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…

Cars

How much does an electric car battery cost?

Two Electrify America Charging Stations.

Electric cars are often hailed as being cheaper to operate and repair than gas-powered cars. It makes sense — on the operation side, you only need to pay for electricity (not gasoline), and on the repair side, there’s no motor or transmission to deal with.

But electric cars have other costly repairs, and while in total they do generally cost less than repairs for gasoline cars, it’s worth knowing about the potential costs ahead of time. Perhaps the most obvious, and one of the most costly, has to do with an electric car’s battery. After all, while all cars have batteries, those in electric cars are far bigger and more advanced — and thus can cost quite a bit to replace.
How much does an electric car battery cost?

Cars

VW previews its next electric car in trippy camouflaged form

Front three quarter view of a camouflaged Volkswagen ID.7 prototype.

The Volkswagen ID.7 is VW's next electric car, and while it won't be fully revealed until later in the year, the automaker provided a sneak peek at CES 2023.

VW said the production ID.7, which will be revealed in the second quarter of this year, will be influenced by the ID.Aero concept first shown in China in 2022. The camouflaged prototype VW brought to CES has the same general shape as the ID.Aero. It's a streamlined sedan that VW claims will have up to 435 miles of range as measured on the somewhat lenient European WLTP testing cycle.

Cars

How to charge your electric car at home

Close up of the Hybrid car electric charger station with power supply plugged into an electric car being charged.

One of the biggest perks to owning an electric car is charging it in the comfort of your own home, rather than requiring stops at a gas station every week or so. That means that if you stay on top of charging, and don’t take super long trips, you’ll never really have to worry about when and where to "fill up."

But there are a number of ways to charge up at home, and they’re not all for everyone. In fact, some options are far better than others — and getting the right charging gear for your needs is definitely worth doing.