FBI agents want to increase the volume on battery cars

Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau

The press start in the new Ford focus electric, and you might think that nothing - not happened when you notice that the Flash of lights and gauges on the instrument panel. For many buyers, one of the great advantages of the art is how battery-based vehicles can operate almost silently.

But there are also a number of critics, in particular, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who believe, there are also downsides, electric drive, especially when working in a crowded urban environment where pedestrians can hear not the vehicle coming.

Now called the NHTSA car manufacturer, amp, the noise level. The Federal Agency has proposed a new rule requiring that such vehicles at speeds below 18 miles per hour, which especially those with impaired vision, hearing noise pedestrians, enough about the normal DIN of a city street.

The pedestrian safety enhancement Act is approved two years ago by the Congress between gradually to the model year 2016. Decided to set a minimum noise level, NHTSA manufacturers give a wide berth with individual sounds come, which they feel could best fit your brand and product.

"Our proposal manufacturer would allow for design flexibility, different tones for different makes and models, and offers to recognize at the same time an opportunity for pedestrians, cyclists and visually impaired and to detect a vehicle and a decision about whether it is safe to cross the street, is", said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.

The announcement of the new rules comes at a time when there are disturbing signs that are collisions with pedestrians on the rise after years of decline. August last year reported NHTSA pedestrian fatalities in 2010 - which last year for the full data - analyzed 4% 4.280 with an another 70,000 Americans injured rose to. That accounted for 13% of all road deaths compared with 11% between 2002 and 2007.

The proposal is expected to be about $35, to the cost of a typical battery-based vehicle $23 million annually add or. However, she gained initial praise, from the Alliance of automobile manufacturers in particular for its flexibility. While vehicles, battery-based account for a tiny fraction of the American vehicle fleet, there are concerns that plug-in the and the situation could grow to electric vehicles as the number of hybrids, worsen without warning a solution for pedestrians. NHTSA analysts estimate that a hybrid vehicle is 19% more are driven at a pedestrian as a vehicle of a conventional internal combustion engine. And there is an increase of 38%, the collisions with bicycles.

"The Alliance with national Federation of the blind and others will continue", said a spokesman, "to work towards, that the model for an international security standard." "In the coming weeks we will examine draft technical elements to ensure that the standard meets the needs of the blind and take into account the appropriate consideration of concerns regarding the overall level of the ambient noise."

NHTSA, which began in 2007 the problem studied, a common, worldwide standard works with regulators in Europe and Japan on the target.

The Agency believes the use of warning tones could the number of pedestrians and bicycle reduce collisions by about 2,800 a year.

A three year period could begin in September 2015 with the start of the model year 2016.

Some battery-vehicles such as the Nissan leaf, tones emit warning already, if in reverse order, some also the driver warning tones switched on during the regular urban ride operated.

Exactly what kind can be selected by sound makers, remains to be seen. It might be enough to back up beeping from trucks on the simulated sound of the conventional gas-powered vehicles from the noise. A few years ago, company of Brabus demonstrates European tuner multiple options on a smart fortwo electric drive. In a mode sound the mini car, it had a V8 engine, hidden speaker roar when stomped the driver on the accelerator. One more alternative sound as warbling of the flying car driven by the family space age in the TV cartoon series "The Jetsons."