Quiet motors can sometimes pose a safety risk when it comes to hybrid and electric vehicles. That’s why Canada’s Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, announced that the Government of Canada is amending its Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations to mandate minimum levels of noise from hybrid and EVs.

Under the new requirements, all hybrid and electric vehicles will now be required to have sound emitters that produce noise at low speeds. Automakers can determine the type of sound the vehicle makes, but the volume and pitch must allow a road user to hear if a vehicle is speeding up or slowing down. While many automakers have voluntarily added sound emitters to hybrid and electric vehicles, this new requirement makes it mandatory equipment on all new light-duty passenger vehicles sold in Canada.

These noise requirements align with United States and international standards to offer flexibility to vehicle manufacturers, while also maximizing safety for Canadians, Alghabra says.

All hybrid and electric passenger cars, multi-purpose passenger cars, trucks, buses, and low-speed vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs.) or less were required to comply with the minimum noise regulations as of Dec. 21, 2022.