Pune: As electric vehicles (EVs) are silent, pedestrians and other drivers are often unaware of an approaching vehicle. This increases the risk of accidents, leading to a demand for a system that would make electric vehicles emit a sound. This demand has now been met, and the system developed by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) will be implemented from October.
ARAI is organising the 'Symposium on International Automotive Technology' (SIAT 2026) from January 27 to 30. ARAI Director Reji Mathai provided this information at a press conference held to announce the event. ARAI Senior Deputy Director Dr N. H. Walke, M. R. Pathak, and others were present on the occasion.
Because electric vehicles are silent, pedestrians and other drivers are unaware of their approach. To prevent potential accidents resulting from this, ARAI has conducted research and developed the 'Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System' (AVAS) for electric vehicles. "Tests for this system have been completed for four-wheeled vehicles. Its implementation will begin in October. While the tests for implementing this system in two-wheelers and three-wheelers are still underway," Mathai said.
“Studies on vehicle emissions in relation to air quality have been conducted several times since 2008. Now, a new study will be conducted with the help of IIT-Delhi. Discussions regarding 'BS-7' have begun, and a committee has also been appointed," Mathai added.
ARAI, the certification, research, and development institution for the country's automotive industry, is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year. Against this backdrop, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H. D. Kumaraswamy, and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Muralidhar Mohol, will be present at the inauguration of the conference organised by ARAI, while Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel, Bhupathi Raju Srinivas Varma, will be present at the closing ceremony.
This conference, now in its 18th year, will see participation from industry professionals, academicians, researchers, startups, and students. The exhibition held alongside the conference will feature 387 stalls. It will showcase the technologies developed by ARAI over the past 60 years, as well as futuristic technologies. Mathai also mentioned that the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), Test Track Smart City, Cylinder Testing, and High Energy Impact Test Facility will be inaugurated during the conference.
