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.

Mercedes S-Class Coupe teased: Frankfurt 2013 (video)

The new Mercedes S-Class Coupe (pictured) teased ahead of Frankfurt Now we have the new Mercedes S-Class in the wild, the next step is the arrival of its various siblings, including the ultra luxury Pullman version. the convertible S-Class and this, the new Mercedes S-Class Coupe. Designed to replace the current Mercedes CL, the new S-Class Coupe will put a bit bit more distance between the rather staid S-Class saloon and its coupe version this time round, with Mercedes hoping the new Coupe will take the fight properly to cars like the Bentley Continental GT.

Peugeot 308 SW (2008): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 March 2008 20:03 So what's new on Peugeot's Geneva Motor Show stand?Not a gala show by Peugeot's standards, if we're being honest. The biggest news on the stand today was the arrival of the 308 SW - a single replacement for two models. This time around, Peugeot isn't distinguishing between the estate and the SW people carrier.