Electric vehicles are set to lose one of their most distinctive features this year, as a new US law compels them to make noise at low speeds.
In spite of the slience that mass electric motoring could potentially bring to our cities and towns, US lawmakers have decided that all electric and hybrid cars must emit an automatic warning sound at low speeds so that blind or partially sighted pedestrians don't walk out in front of them.
The move is set to prevent 2,800 injuries and as many as 35 deaths per year.
Currently, the Toyota Prius is designed to automatically emit a low whirring noise at low speeds (below 25kmh) and the Nissan Leaf has a similar system that works at the drivers' discretion. From this year though, all similar cars will have to have a system that works automatically, without driver intervention or choice. The proposed law is being introduced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Our proposal would allow manufacturers the flexibility to design different sounds for different makes and models while still providing an opportunity for pedestrians, bicyclists and the visually impaired to detect and recognize a vehicle", said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.
