India to mandate AVAS on all new EVs from October 2026
India mandates acoustic vehicle alerting systems on EVs from 2026
India to mandate AVAS on all new EVs from October 2026
From Oct 2026, India will require AVAS on all new electric vehicles; existing models follow in 2027. The rule enhances low-speed safety for pedestrians.
2025-09-29T16:08:44+03:00
2025-09-29T16:08:44+03:00
2025-09-29T16:08:44+03:00
India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published a draft notification stating that, from October 2026, all new electric vehicles in categories M (passenger) and N (goods) must be fitted with AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System). For models already on the market, the requirement will take effect a year later, from October 2027. The staggered schedule looks pragmatic, giving the industry a clear runway without disrupting current product plans.AVAS generates an artificial sound at speeds below 20 km/h to alert pedestrians, cyclists and other road users to the approach of an electric vehicle. The idea is to balance out the quiet operation of EVs compared with combustion-engine cars. Research indicates that electric cars pose a 20% higher risk to pedestrians, rising to as much as 50% at low speeds—precisely where near-silent drivetrains can catch people off guard.Similar rules are already in force in the United States, Japan and across Europe. In India, some vehicles—among them the MG Comet EV, Tata Curvv EV, Hyundai Creta Electric and Mahindra XEV 9e—are already equipped with AVAS. Making the system compulsory now simply aligns all manufacturers to the same safety baseline.The new standard reflects a wider global shift: as the EV fleet grows, governments are looking to sharpen safety and shape transportation around the realities of urban life.
India AVAS mandate, Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, electric vehicles, EV safety, pedestrian safety, low-speed alert, 2026 regulation, 2027 compliance, MoRTH, M and N categories, EV models
2025
Michael Powers
news
India mandates acoustic vehicle alerting systems on EVs from 2026
From Oct 2026, India will require AVAS on all new electric vehicles; existing models follow in 2027. The rule enhances low-speed safety for pedestrians.
Michael Powers, Editor
India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published a draft notification stating that, from October 2026, all new electric vehicles in categories M (passenger) and N (goods) must be fitted with AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System). For models already on the market, the requirement will take effect a year later, from October 2027. The staggered schedule looks pragmatic, giving the industry a clear runway without disrupting current product plans.
AVAS generates an artificial sound at speeds below 20 km/h to alert pedestrians, cyclists and other road users to the approach of an electric vehicle. The idea is to balance out the quiet operation of EVs compared with combustion-engine cars. Research indicates that electric cars pose a 20% higher risk to pedestrians, rising to as much as 50% at low speeds—precisely where near-silent drivetrains can catch people off guard.
Similar rules are already in force in the United States, Japan and across Europe. In India, some vehicles—among them the MG Comet EV, Tata Curvv EV, Hyundai Creta Electric and Mahindra XEV 9e—are already equipped with AVAS. Making the system compulsory now simply aligns all manufacturers to the same safety baseline.
The new standard reflects a wider global shift: as the EV fleet grows, governments are looking to sharpen safety and shape transportation around the realities of urban life.
