All Electric Cars Will Legally Have To Become Noisy

2016 Nissan Leaf (Credit: © Nissan)

Have you ever been walking along in a parking lot and been taken by surprise when an electric car comes rolling your way? Come September 1, 2019 all EVs sold in the US will have to make noise when they’re going under 18.6 mph.

Apparently, there have been enough low-speed accidents with EVs that NHTSA has finally put together this new rule. Estimates are that this change will prevent 2,400 injuries every year. Originally, this rule was supposed to have been made by January 2014. So naturally, the government took way longer.

Automakers are getting off easy, because the originally plan passed by Congress called for only 18 months from the setting up of the rule to its enforcement. This way, they’re getting almost three years.

Nissan is ahead of the curve, because the Leaf already makes noise at low speeds. The Kia Soul EV does, too. No word yet if any EVs will make a sound mimicking a rumbling V-8.