By James Murray, Source: BusinessGreen

Critics of electric cars who argue that their near-silent motors present a safety risk to pedestrians and cyclists will soon have to quiet down, after the US government yesterday announced new plans to impose minimum sound requirements on electric and hybrid vehicles.

The Department of Transportation proposed new rules, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141, in response to Congressional legislation designed to help pedestrians, including the visually impaired, detect electric vehicles when they are moving at low speeds.

The proposal would require electric cars and hybrids to issue a noise that can be heard above other ambient street noise when the vehicle is travelling below 18 miles per hour. Above that speed, the vehicles are deemed to emit a similar level of noise to conventional vehicles.

“Safety is our highest priority, and this proposal will help keep everyone using our nation’s streets and roadways safe, whether they are motorists, bicyclists or pedestrians, and especially the blind and visually impaired,” said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a statement.

David Strickland, adminstrator at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the proposed rules 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 and make a decision about whether it is safe to cross the street”.

The proposals are now subject to a 60 day consultation period and are then expected to come into effect later in the year.

The proposals are unlikely to be opposed by electric vehicle manufacturers, who have in the past faced criticism from health and safety groups over the perceived risk of quieter vehicles.

The new rules come as the electric and hybrid vehicle market in the US and overseas continues to outstrip the conventional auto market, with one recent report suggesting green cars represented the fastest growing segment of the market last year.

In related news, LaHood yesterday signed off on a new $135m project to extend the existing Sacramento Light Rail Blue Line by 4.3 miles, linking downtown Sacramento to the growing South Sacramento County corridor.

LaHood said the project was part of a series of investments from the Obama administration in the US commuter rail network, designed to improve transport infrastructure, curb emissions, and tackle traffic congestion.