Electric vehicle warning sounds are sounds designed to alert pedestrians to the presence of electric drive vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) travelling at low speeds. Warning sound devices were deemed necessary by some government regulators because vehicles operating in all-electric mode produce less noise than traditional combustion engine vehicles and can make it more difficult for pedestrians and cyclists (especially those with visual impairments) to be aware of their presence. Warning sounds may be driver triggered (as in a horn but less urgent) or automatic at low speeds; in type, they vary from clearly artificial (beeps, chimes) to those that mimic engine sounds and those of tires moving over gravel.
Japan issued guidelines for such warning devices in January 2010 and the U.S. approved legislation in December 2010. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its final ruling in February 2018, and requires the device to emit warning sounds when travelling at speeds less than 18.6 mph (30 km/h) with compliance by September 2020, but 50% of "quiet" vehicles must have the warning sounds by September 2019. In April 2014, the European Parliament approved legislation that requires the mandatory use of an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System [de] (AVAS). Manufacturers must install an AVAS system in four-wheeled electric and hybrid electric vehicles that are approved from July 1, 2019, and to all new quiet electric and hybrid vehicles registered from July 2021. The vehicle must make a continuous noise level of at least 56 dBA (within 2 meters) if the car is going 20 km/h (12 mph) or slower, and a maximum of 75 dBA. (Full article...)
Image 14Modes of road transport in Dublin, 1929 (from Road transport)
Image 15Customized motorcycle to maximize load capacity. Mobility is important for motorcycles, which are primarily used for transporting light cargo in urban areas. (from Transport)
Image 16The Cessna 172 is the most produced aircraft in history (from Aviation)
Image 17The Polish transport company Bedmet uses a special vehicle to transport two large silos. (from Road transport)
Image 21According to Eurostat and the European Railway Agency, the fatality risk for passengers and occupants on European railways is 28 times lower when compared with car usage (based on data by EU-27 member nations, 2008–2010). (from Rail transport)
Image 26Bardon Hill box in England (seen here in 2009) is a Midland Railway box dating from 1899, although the original mechanical lever frame has been replaced by electrical switches. (from Rail transport)
Image 27Swiss & German co-production: world's first functional diesel–electric railcar 1914 (from Rail transport)
Image 280-Series Shinkansen, introduced in 1964, triggered the intercity train travel boom. (from Rail transport)
Image 40The Lockheed SR-71 remains unsurpassed in many areas of performance. (from Aviation)
Image 41Arizona - North America - Southwest - Interstate Highway System (4893585908) (from Road transport)
Image 42German soldiers in a railway car on the way to the front in August 1914. The message on the car reads Von München über Metz nach Paris ("From Munich via Metz to Paris"). (from Rail transport)
Image 48Interior view of a high-speed bullet train, manufactured in China (from Rail transport)
Image 49The Great North Road near High gate on the approach to London before turnpiking. The highway was deeply rutted and spread onto adjoining land. (from Road transport)
Image 50Various modes of transport in Manchester, England (from Transport)
Image 62Lilienthal in mid-flight, Berlin c. 1895 (from Aviation)
Image 63Tunnels, such as the Tampere Tunnel, allow traffic to pass underground or through rock formations. (from Transport)
Image 64A cast iron fishbelly edge rail manufactured by Outram at the Butterley Company for the Cromford and High Peak Railway in 1831; these are smooth edge rails for wheels with flanges. (from Rail transport)
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