[SanScorpio]

Voted No.

EV's should have a device that would turn off the surrounding Cell phones so that pedestrians will look at the traffic than smarter than them phones.

[GKMahajan]

Voted NO

My reasons for this are the same as most above. I feel this is like building good roads and then putting speed breakers for 'safety'!! What nonsense. I have seen too many accidents on speed breakers - so I call them 'car breakers'!

In fact (going slightly OT), I feel that horns should be banned! I am sure it will be a problem for some time, but eventually it will be best! (Just my personal opinion - please do not take offense!)

Girish Mahajan

[dass]

I don't know and voted as such. A little noise is preferred to get the attention of the road users towards the vehicle (The first time a Volvo bus overtook me, gave me the shock of my life as I did not 'hear' the bus)however, wouldn't that defeat the whole purpose of having a 0 pollution car?

How about another topic/poll, if not covered already in the forum. How to make pedestrians more visible? How do we as pedestrians manage without getting run over.

[jaygeetee]

Voted NO.
That would be like saying "concrete houses should also leak but only a little bit", just like thatched houses.
This is a chance to reduce noise pollution, if you ask me we should also get rid of horns.
For people saying that there should be "low sound', 'nothing too harsh"; everything becomes exponentially annoying when it's multiplied by ten thousand or more.

People will get used to looking before crossing, even now with all the noise we have people with headphones or ones focussed on "whatsapping" walking into traffic.

[frewper]

Originally Posted by GKMahajan

Voted NO

In fact (going slightly OT), I feel that horns should be banned! I am sure it will be a problem for some time, but eventually it will be best! (Just my personal opinion - please do not take offense!)

Girish Mahajan

Ohh I hate horns. Its pathetic.

I have a nice view from office, (thought its of a major signal, it is soothing to watch, from my sound cabin). I can see the the cars stopping at the light and then the other side starting to move. But the moment I step on to the gallery it a completely different experience. All I can hear is honking and and the buzzing sounds of the engines. Even though I am on the 7th Floor. Its noisy.
The world could (or atleast our cities) can be a better place without horns.

But then I was driving back from Bombay the other day and I was doing 100 on the expressway. Now a couple was trying to cross the expressway by jumping the side barriers and had now crossed the divider. I was maybe only a 100-150 metres away when I saw them. It was not possible for me to switch to the other lane, since it was already occupied. All I had was the horn. Full blast and slowly brake. Or live with a pile-up. Well they noticed and they stayed put on the divider.

This is the reason we need a horn.

We have people in our country who are gonna jump the dividers no matter what. Thats not gonna change for a very long time. The people who own cars have to have common sense, not to honk unnecessarily at a signal. And of all the people that i know, who honk unnecessarily are an educated lot and do not want to change.

[GKMahajan]

Originally Posted by frewper

Ohh I hate horns. Its pathetic.
..
..

This is the reason we need a horn.

We have people in our country who are gonna jump the dividers no matter what. Thats not gonna change for a very long time. The people who own cars have to have common sense, not to honk unnecessarily at a signal. And of all the people that i know, who honk unnecessarily are an educated lot and do not want to change.

Dear frewper,

Thanks for quoting me.

I agree with you. Maybe it is a question of egg and chicken syndrome. I feel we have to start somewhere. I think your driving and the divider crossers driving would have been 'different' if horn was absent! Just a thought.

Girish Mahajan

[GTO]

This just in from Jaguar. Sure sounds w-e-i-r-d! I'd rather listen to an Indica 1.4 than this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JwfssNI3I

With no engine sound, the electric Jaguar I-PACE required a new way to warn blind, visually impaired and other vulnerable road users it is approaching at low speed.

Jaguar has designed a unique Audible Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) for its first EV that meets and exceeds all forthcoming global legislation. Jaguar’s engineers have developed a sound that can be heard at speeds up to 20 km/h and exceeds the 56dB(A) minimum required by forthcoming European legislation – the strictest in the world – for all new EVs from July 2019.

The I-PACE’s sound was tested by members of Guide Dogs for the Blind, the UK’s leading charity for people affected by sight loss, as part of the testing undertaken by Jaguar. It also marks the start of an on-going relationship between the two organisations.

Iain Suffield, Jaguar NVH Technical Specialist, said: “The absence of traditional engine noise from electric vehicles creates a problem for vulnerable pedestrians, such as the blind or visually impaired. This is especially true at low speeds in town centres and car parks. We developed the Audible Vehicle Alert System for the I-PACE to ensure the safety of all road users. Our potentially life-saving technology cannot be switched off and as the leading charity for people with sight loss, we are pleased to have the support of Guide Dogs to ensure real people are at the heart of our product testing.”

Jaguar’s engineers worked for four years to develop a soundtrack that is audible yet discreet and cannot be heard from inside the vehicle. Initial attempts to create a noise inspired by the sound of sci-fi spacecraft had to be shelved after pedestrians reacted by looking up to the sky, rather than at the road, as the vehicle approached.

Engineers tested sounds in a number of environments, including an anechoic chamber (specialist echo-free room) and various urban scenarios, before settling on the final sound for the I-PACE. It is emitted from a speaker located behind the front grille, can be heard in every direction and cannot be disengaged.

The alert increases in pitch and volume in line with the speed of the vehicle and, when in reverse, is accompanied by an additional tone that indicates the change in direction. AVAS is not required at higher speeds as there is sufficient wind and tyre noise for pedestrians to hear the zero-emissions vehicle approaching.

John Welsman, Policy Business Partner (Travel & Mobility), Guide Dogs for the Blind, said: “Guide Dogs campaigned hard to make it compulsory for quiet vehicles to have sound generating systems built in and turned on, including when the vehicle is stationary at a pedestrian crossing. We applaud Jaguar for being the first to launch an EV which meets standards before the new legislation even comes in and look forward to working with the company more in the future.”

Jaguar unveiled the I-PACE, its first all-electric vehicle, earlier this year to deliver sustainable sports car performance, next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technology and five-seat SUV practicality.

Fitted with a state-of-the-art 90kWh lithium-ion battery, two Jaguar-designed motors and a bespoke aluminium structure, the I-PACE is capable of 0-100 km/h in 4.5 s and a range of up to 470 kms (WLTP).

[volkman10]

New EU rules coming for EV's from July-19.

-All new electrified cars must emit noise to warn pedestrians

All new electrified vehicles will be required to feature a noise-emitting device that warns pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users to their presence.

New EU regulations say that any four-wheeled electric or hybrid vehicles – whether private or commercial – must be fitted with an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) from 1 July 2019 onwards. It's unclear at this stage whether the rules will aply to all hybrids or only to models capable of running on electric power alone.

Link

[volkman10]

While the Poll results here shows 'NO' the laws in EU mandates a 'YES' to hear the sound of silence from EVs and HEVs kicks in from July 01.

Expect this law to creep in here too when the country is ready for EV's and HEV's.

Now, that silence is about to be broken as from July 1, all new private and commercial electric and hybrid vehicles in the EU with four or more wheels must have an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) fitted.

What the legislation says:

- ECE R138 & Article 8 of the EU ‘Regulation on the Sound Level of Motor Vehicle’ (EU 540/2014) states that by 1 July 2019 all new silent electric cars and hybrid vehicle types must have an AVAS.
- The minimum sound level at a speed of 20kph is 56dB. The maximum sound level is 75dB (comparable to a conventional car).
- Applies to all private and commercial vehicles with four or more wheels.
- Activated for speeds of up to 20kph going forward with a sound also emitted whilst reversing.

Link

[jailbird_fynix]

BMW calls on Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer to create sounds for EVs

BMW has drafted the German-born composer to help create the sounds for the automaker's coming electric vehicles and concepts.

Working with BMW acoustic engineer and sound designer Renzo Vitale, the pair will begin to create the sound library dubbed as "BMW IconicSounds Electric". European laws mandate all electric vehicles produce noises audible to pedestrians as of July 1, but the BMW IconicSounds Electric project appears centered on the interior and the occupants.

Source

[volkman10]

From 01 July 2019 all Electric Vehicles/PHEV launched in the European Union will need to be fitted with an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) .

- The artificial noise will be played by hybrid and EV models at low speeds to help the vision impaired.

- The system must make noise similar to an internal combustion engine at speeds below 19km/h in both forward and reverse.

- AVAS must be fitted to all four-wheel vehicles capable of moving without an internal-combustion engine running, meaning basically all hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars.


Starting from July 2021, all new electric cars, not just new models, sold in the EU will need to be fitted with AVAS.

Link