US authorities add noise to silent electric vehicles
Electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Roadster could be fitted with artificial noise generators in the US, according to a new announcement from American authorities.
The sounds of electric vehicles, (or the lack of them!) is rapidly becoming a safety issue for both government and car manufacturers. So, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced an assessment of how to best protect "unsuspecting pedestrians and the visually-impaired from accidents involving hybrid and electric vehicles."