Overview
- UNECE negotiations on vehicle-noise rules could authorize exterior sound enhancement systems that play brand-defined sounds outside electric cars.
- A reported draft envisions the feature being disabled at startup and requiring the driver to switch it on after each motor start.
- Key technical details remain unresolved, including maximum permitted volume and other enforcement parameters.
- The proposal distinguishes the optional, marketing-focused sound feature from AVAS, the mandatory low-speed safety alert already required on EVs.
- OICA has advocated the change as automakers roll out interior sound suites (VW ID. Sound, BMW Iconic Sounds, Audi e-sound, AMG and Porsche), while Germany’s UBA warns it could erode EVs’ noise-reduction benefits.