“>
The ministry of road transport and highways has mandated all new private and commercial electric vehicles to be fitted with Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) with effect from October 1, 2026 while the existing models will have time till October 1, 2027 to fit AVAS. The move is aimed at alerting pedestrians about approaching EVs which do not emit any sound and sometimes result in accidents.
“On and after 1st October 2026 in case of new models and 1st October 2027 in case of existing models, electrified vehicles of category M and N shall be fitted with Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) meeting requirements with regard to audibility,” the ministry said in a draft notification.
An Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) is a safety feature in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids that emits sounds to alert pedestrians and other road users to their presence.
Since EVs are significantly quieter than traditional vehicles, AVAS uses external speakers to produce an audible warning sound that varies with speed, enhancing pedestrian safety, particularly at low speeds and in reverse.
Electrified vehicles of Category M include electric cars and buses designed for passenger transport, while Category N vehicles are electric-powered trucks and goods vehicles used for transporting cargo.As per the draft notification, this would also apply to electric three-wheelers, E-risckshaw and E-cart.
Countries like the US, Japan and some of the European Union nations have already mandated uses of AVAS in hybrid vehicles.
Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals.
Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox.
All about ETAuto industry right on your smartphone!
- Download the ETAuto App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles.