If this ever comes to pass, means I will not buy any electric car with this “feature.”

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration demands that the cars make a noise when travelling either forwards or backwards at speeds of less than 30km/h (19mph). The regulation covers vehicles with four wheels that weigh less than 10,000 pounds (4.5 tonnes).

The safety specification requires car makers to use a two-tone signal similar to that currently emitted by heavy vehicles when they are reversing.

Wonder if there is not more to the story here. Auto makers in general do not really want electric cars to succeed. Huge R&D costs, more reliable so far less to service. The same antipathy is present with fossil fuel producers. Both of these groups have enormous lobbying power and regulatory capture of relevant agencies.

This will probably cut the market in half or perhaps more for electric vehicles. No one wants their car to make an obscene and cabin-audible beeping noise while at low speed. I will never buy one that does this.

This reminds me of the Red Flag Laws that restricted the uptake of early automobiles.