As of September 2020, electric cars will have to make noise in the United States. In principle, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States had determined that the manufacturers of electric cars had to include systems that made noise in their vehicles as of 2019, but it has been decided to delay the date before the pressure of the industry. The new deadline is September 2020, after which electric and hybrid cars will have to make noise when they are traveling at less than 19 mph (30.5 km / h).
Despite the delay, 50% of the hybrid and electric cars that make a brand as of September 1, 2019 will have to emit at least noise, passing one year later to be 100%. On what there is no unanimity is still on what kind of sound should emit the cars or what kind of sound should be. The NHTSA is analyzing whether the driver could choose the type of sound, and will not say until the end of the year.
The idea of making noise at low speed makes sense if we consider that it is 30 km / h or less when driving in narrow areas or near pedestrians. In areas where it is allowed to go faster, visibility is greater, in addition to that from that speed the noise made by the wheels of the car and the sound of the wind generated by its movement is enough for the car to be noticed.
A study by NHTSA itself determined that hybrid cars were 18% more likely to be involved in an accident with pedestrians than a car explosion. With the measurement of noise it is estimated that 2,400 accidents will be saved.
Among the brands that have requested the delay are Honda, General Motors, the Auto Alliance and the Association of Global Automakers, representing the last two to dozens of other car manufacturers. These last two already requested that the regulations be delayed at the beginning of 2017 because they have problems to comply with the initially established schedule. Nissan wanted the speed at which the sound was issued to be lower, reaching 12.4 mph (20 km / h), but the lack of data to accept that measure has led the NHTSA to reject the proposal.