{"id":26186,"date":"2025-06-20T17:26:57","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T17:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=26186"},"modified":"2025-06-20T17:26:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T17:26:59","slug":"new-study-reveals-difficulty-pedestrians-face-in-locating-electric-cars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/new-study-reveals-difficulty-pedestrians-face-in-locating-electric-cars\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Reveals Difficulty Pedestrians Face in Locating Electric Cars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A study from Chalmers University highlights a significant safety issue with electric cars: the difficulty pedestrians face in locating warning sounds. Researchers suggest that new alerting systems are needed to ensure safety.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As electric cars become a staple on our roads, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users are increasingly exposed to their warning signals. However, new research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden reveals a critical problem: these signals are difficult for people to locate, particularly when multiple electric vehicles (EVs) are in motion simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.aip.org\/asa\/jasa\/article\/157\/3\/2029\/3340512\/Auditory-localization-of-multiple-stationary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, investigated how well individuals could discern the direction of three common types of Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) signals emitted by hybrid and electric vehicles at low speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers found that all tested signal types were harder to locate than the sound of an internal combustion engine, with one signal type being particularly challenging for test subjects to pinpoint or differentiate between sounds from single or multiple vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The requirements placed on car manufacturers relate to detection, or detectability, not about locating sound direction or the number of vehicles involved. But if you imagine, say, a supermarket carpark, it\u2019s not inconceivable that several similar car models with the same AVAS signal will be moving at the same time and in different directions,&#8221; Leon M\u00fcller, a doctoral student in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Chalmers, said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Current regulations require that EVs emit warning sounds at speeds below 20 kph in Europe, China and Japan, and below 30 kph in the United States. These sounds are intended to aid pedestrians and cyclists in detecting approaching vehicles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Chalmers\u2019 research suggests that detectability is not the only concern \u2014 localization is also crucial for safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe way the requirements are worded allows car manufacturers to design their own signature sounds. These warning signals are often tested without the complication of background noise. But in a real traffic environment, there are usually many different types of sound,\u201d added Wolfgang Kropp, a professor of acoustics in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Chalmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The experiments, involving 52 test subjects in soundproofed chambers, aimed to simulate real conditions like those in a busy carpark. Subjects were surrounded by 24 loudspeakers playing three types of simulated vehicle sounds: one with two tones, another with multiple tones, and one with noise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The test subjects faced significant difficulty in locating the two-tone signals, especially when multiple vehicles were in play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNaturally, as acousticians, we welcome the fact that electric cars are significantly quieter than internal combustion engines but it\u2019s important to find a balance,\u201d M\u00fcller added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While current studies focus on detectability, there is a pressing need to explore localization and its impact on traffic safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom a traffic safety point of view, it would be desirable to find a signal that\u2019s as effective as possible in terms of detection and localization but which doesn\u2019t affect people negatively; something our previous research has shown to be true of traffic noise,\u201d added Kropp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In their follow-up research, Chalmers scientists are investigating how these AVAS signals are perceived and their effects on non-road users, hoping to develop more effective warning systems for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chalmers.se\/en\/current\/news\/ace-electric-cars-and-their-warning-signals-difficult-to-locate-at-low-speed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> Chalmers University of Technology<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As electric cars become a staple on our roads, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users are increasingly exposed to their warning signals. However, new research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden reveals a critical problem: these signals are difficult for people to locate, particularly when multiple electric vehicles (EVs) are in motion simultaneously. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[399],"class_list":["post-26186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech","tag-chalmers-university-of-technology"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"As electric cars become a staple on our roads, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users are increasingly exposed to their warning signals. However, new research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden reveals a critical problem: these signals are difficult for people to locate, particularly when multiple electric vehicles (EVs) are in motion simultaneously. The&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26186"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26257,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26186\/revisions\/26257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}