09 Yamaha Fz1 Windshield on 2040-parts.com

Electric cars must get noisier, ICE cars must get quieter

Electric cars will have to make a noise to protect pedestrians It’s four years since the Lotus solution for making electric cars noisy raised its head, since when the US has had a go at the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act in 2010 to do the same thing, the Japanese are playing too, and Toyota revealed the Prius Vehicle Notification System, and now the EU has decided its time to act to make EVs emit ‘noise’. Despite the most appealing part of an EV being that it makes our cities quieter, legislators worry about the blind, partially sighted and distracted pedestrian (think earphones and a Smartphone) being mowed down by a stalking electric car and feel the need to act. So the European Parliament has decided that by 2019 new models of electric vehicle will have to make a noise in cities, and that by 2021 all new hybrids and electrics must be noisy too.

Audi at 100: A timeline of significant events

1885--Establishment of Wanderer, which ultimately will be a branch of Audi AG. 1888--NSU, a branch that will evolve into Audi AG, makes its first contribution to automobile development by supplying a chassis for the first Daimler four-wheeler. 1899--August Horch sets up his own company, A.

BMW and Local Motors join forces for latest contest

BMW and Local Motors have come together to launch the Urban Driving Experience Challenge, which launches on 25 September. The contest challenges designers to create the premium vehicle features and functions that will shape the urban driving experience in 2025 and beyond. The Mega Cities of the future will offer a number a new challenges for the automotive industry, such as increasing urbanization, rapid population growth, changing infrastructures and environmental pollution.