Electric and hybrid cars are much quieter on the road than cars with a combustion engine. Although this is beneficial to the environment, it can also be dangerous to vulnerable road users.
To aid this problem, especially for cyclists or visually impaired people, a new European Commission Delegated Regulation mandates that all new types of electric and hybrid cars be fitted with a new safety device from 1 July 2019 - the acoustic vehicle alerting system (AVAS).
The device will automatically generate a sound from the start of the car up to the speed of approximately 20 km/h, and during reversing. The sound-emitting device will be obligatory in all new electric cars as of 1 July 2021.
More information can be found on the European Commission website.
