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Electric Vehicles To Get Artificial Engine Sound In India From October 2026
Electric vehicles have raised safety concerns due to their near-silent operation at low speeds. To address this, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has mandated artificial sound alerts (AVAS) for electric vehicles, which will be implemented from October 2026.
Artificial Sound In Electric Vehicles
EVs are widely appreciated for their clean, quiet, and vibration-free driving experience, whether in cities or on highways. While this silence enhances comfort for drivers and passengers, it poses a potential safety risk, particularly in a densely populated country like India.
Indian pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists are accustomed to engine noise and honking as warning cues to sense approaching vehicles. Over time, people learned to react to the sound of internal combustion engines.
However, electric vehicles operate with minimal or no drivetrain noise, making them harder to detect. As a result, pedestrians and other road users may remain unaware of an approaching EV, increasing the risk of collisions, especially in crowded city streets and residential areas. EVs with their minimal operating noise can pose a higher risk, especially for school children, who may be less aware of approaching traffic and vehicle movement.
To improve safety, ARAI(Automotive Research Association of India) plans to introduce an Artificial Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) for electric vehicles. Under this mandate, EVs will make a low-level artificial sound at speeds up to around 20 km/h, alerting pedestrians and nearby road users. This alerts them that a vehicle is approaching.
The new regulation will apply to electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers, ensuring a uniform safety standard across EV categories. The artificial sound will be clearly audible but not loud, helping to maintain safety without making any noise pollution. It will also be clearly recognisable as it will differ from the natural sound around the vehicle. Several EV manufacturers in India already offer artificial sound alert systems on their vehicles to improve pedestrian safety.
Once implemented, this measure is expected to bring an improvement in EV safety, particularly in congested urban areas. For a highly populated country like India, such safety solutions are crucial as electric mobility continues to grow every day. The introduction of AVAS aligns well with India's broader EV safety and mobility framework, maintaining a balance between innovation and public safety.
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