New Delhi: Electric Vehicles (EVs) are set to get noisier, thanks to a decision by the Government of India.
It has directed EV manufacturers to install Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) on the vehicles to protect pedestrians and other road users.
All new passenger and goods-carrying EVs have to be equipped with AVAS starting October 1, 2026, while existing models in production must comply by October 1, 2027, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed in a draft notification.
Unlike petrol or diesel vehicles, EVs operate almost silently at low speeds. While this makes them more alluring to buyers, it has raised safety concerns for pedestrians, cyclists, and the visually impaired, the ministry believes.
It is certainly a cause for concern in India where pedestrians are forced to walk on streets due to non-existent pavements or their encroachment. The AVAS system addresses this by generating a low-frequency, artificial sound that changes with vehicle speed, making the otherwise quiet vehicles more noticeable to people nearby. The system automatically activates at speeds below 20 kmph and when reversing, switching off at higher speeds when tire and wind noise are sufficient.
The notification specifies that the rule will cover Category M vehicles (meant for carrying passengers) and Category N vehicles (for carrying goods). This means electric cars, buses, vans, and trucks will all need to comply. However, electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and e-rickshaws are currently excluded, despite their quiet operation.
AVAS is already mandatory in Europe, Japan, and the US, where regulations require electric and hybrid vehicles to emit warning sounds under certain conditions. In India, some models such as the Tata Curvv EV, Hyundai Creta Electric, Mahindra XEV 9e, and Mahindra BE 6 are already equipped with the technology.
The draft notification cites compliance with AIS-173 standards, which govern audibility requirements for such systems in India.
The government has also proposed scrapping the requirement for manufacturers to provide mandatory spare tires in vehicles equipped with tubeless tires, including cars, quadricycles, and certain three-wheelers.
