Mercedes Benz e-sound – Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) for Electric Cars

Since 1 July 2019, it has been mandatory to install a warning sound generator in electric cars. This is due to a new EU Directive. This stipulates that initially in newly certificated hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles - also trucks and buses - the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) must be installed for the protection of other road users. In the EU the acoustic warning is mandatory up to a speed of 20 km/h. The Directive formulates the parameters for how an AVAS warning may and may not sound in great detail. This applies for example to the minimum and maximum sound volume, and to certain sound components.

Giving a voice to the electrified Mercedes

It is subject to these and many other regulations that the sound experts of the acoustic test facility at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre (MTC) in Sindelfingen are working on giving a voice to the electrified Mercedes. Special microphones in the exterior sound testing facilities are used to develop an individually configured e-sound for each electric model. Simulations, measurements, evaluations and detailed improvements continue until the result is perfect. During the subsequent test drives, there is a particularly sensitive passenger on board – the artificial head. This registers the tiniest noises, and comes impressively close to human hearing.

Different standards in different markets

The Mercedes-Benz AVAS sound differs only slightly for the EU, Japan and China. There are other requirements for the USA, for example concerning the sound volume. Furthermore, the stationary vehicle must already generate a sound when a gear is engaged, becoming louder up to 30 km/h. Switching off the AVAS by the customer is prohibited in almost all countries.

[benzd]

So far, honda sound is the best. I got the 2022 accord hybrid. It's an angelical sound.

[fredwhitehurst]

Requiring the sound in understandable but why must it be so loud in the cabin? It sounds like you have dropped a bumper and it is dragging on the pavement.

[geraldh.]

Brought to you by our stupid-as-shit politicians. Unbelievable how one can even dare to think it would be a good idea to artificially create extra noise. Silent cars at low speed are a reality since the Prius was introduced in 1997 and it was and continues to be no problem at all.

[ocharni]

So when we finally have the chance to seriously reduce noise pollution in our cities we start installing artificial noise generators in otherwise extremely quiet cars ... I dont want to live on this planet anymore ...

[broazrael]

1:04 Jetzt klingen sie endgültig wie ein Staubsauger. Jetzt hört man nicht mehr nur den E Motor wie im Staubsauger, das AVAS klingt wie die Luft die durchs Rohr gezogen wird. Warum kein dumpfes V8 blubbern. Das ist nicht laut und niedrige Frequenzen können selbst Hörgeschädigte gut wahrnehmen.

[rudyyyxu]

first thing I do will be accessing the speaker and cut it off

[migteleco]

This is as stupid as the times when the automobile was invented, and a guy was mandatory to walk in front of the car with a red flag or a lamp to warn the people in the street that a car was coming.
You can bet this "sound law" will be forgotten in 5 to 10 years (if not before...)

[nickpaokara]

I want it to sound like in a scifi movie set in the distant future, like a spaceship almost

[NAYGAS]

Sounds like an airplane on the runway.

[UmeshKumar-umze]

The new accord hybrid sounds better imo

[AaronStarkLinux]

Horrible sound, I prefer something like the Renault Zoe sound

[motormusique]

The reverse beeping is very annoying - why not use a static sound?

[darktemp_de]

No hate for Mercedes, but for politics. It's absolutely not necessary to have additional sound and it destroys the nice quiet drive of electric cars.

[MM-qdkm]

How will this solve people stepping out in the road who are more interested in their phone and/or have headphones on? Will bicycles also have to make a sound? Teach people how to use footpaths and recognised walkways in car parks rather than the middle of the road they just drove in on.
Something does need to be looked at for those that are visually impaired (sorry if not correct term) but I think this could be done with technology for the individual rather than the vehicle or look at road surface within city and towns. I would imagine most would use a recognised crossing.
What are the stats for incidents and near misses that are directly attributable to the vehicle being quiet?

[thorlong]

Engine starting and stopping sounds disgusting but the old fashioned purr sounds great.

[ilregulator]

We do all this artificial noise pollution just to protect people who can't look for themselves? Like okay blind people, but it doesn't need to be such a horrible motor noise.

[bdizzle]

Some of the newer electric cars sound like UFOs

[Dogappel]

This sounds much better than the sound peugeot uses. Everytime one of these stupid electric peugeots come by i always get waked up. They are much louder than combustion engines.

[AllanSustainabilityFan]

What a backwards idea, adding noise pollution on purpose. No creative solutions beside annoying noise?
I guess the intention is to get rid of an EV advantage so that the dinosaur models can sell.
It reminds me of that old rule from a century ago where someone had to run in front of the car with a sign to warn residents of an approaching car. Glad that other dumb idea was dropped.

[pwml]

Da entwickelt man ein Auto fur 100k und schafft es so leise wie möglich und dann kommt ein 1 Eur China Piepser wie beim hinterletzten Gurkentransporter rein. Ihr habt's echt nicht begriffen.