US authorities add noise to silent electric vehicles

Updated



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."

Advertisement