electric/hybrid

UK road users want EVs to sound like conventional cars

As Brake Road Safety Week approaches, a new survey by Venson Automotive Solutions has found that British road users think that electric vehicles (EVs) should emit sounds like…well… cars, not anything else. 
UK road users want EVs to sound like conventional cars

The survey found that 43 percent of drivers would prefer a noise that mimics a diesel or petrol car engine when an electric vehicle is driven at low speed, while 70 percent of drivers would prefer a horn sound similar to that made by a petrol or diesel engine. 72 percent of drivers questioned think EV sounds should be standardised.

With the latest company car benefit-in-kind tax encouraging fleet take-up of electric vehicles, the safety of fleet drivers and pedestrians is paramount.  

The findings come as manufacturers work to meet new legal requirements for all new hybrid and EVs to incorporate an acoustic vehicle alert system (AVAS).  From 1st July 2019, all new electric cars sold in the EU will have to be fitted with AVAS and all existing models by July 2021.

Under EU law, from 2021, EV drivers will be able to manually trigger a warning sound, as in a horn but less urgent, to alert pedestrians and road users of their presence. 70 percent surveyed said they would like to hear a horn sound similar to that made by a petrol or diesel engine vehicle.  Just 13% wanted to hear a phrase such as ‘EV approaching’, however, 6 percent would prefer an animal sound like a roar, bark or quack instead of a traditional vehicle horn.

“The integration of AVAS into hybrid and electric vehicles is a very positive move” said Alison Bell, Marketing Director for Venson Automotive Solutions. “Almost silent electric and hybrid cars put vulnerable road users at risk, especially children, the partially sighted and blind.  As more fleet drivers opt for emission-free electric models, with the introduction of zero BIK tax from April 2020, they will be relieved to know that with the introduction of AVAS their choice will no longer put road users at risk. With over 100 years of petrol and diesel engine sounding vehicles on our roads, people naturally react to the sound of an approaching vehicle or a horn being sounded. Keeping sounds we are used to hearing on UK roads makes the most sense when it comes to road safety and saving lives”.

For additional information:

Venson Automotive Solutions

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