From October 1, 2026, every new electric car and electric truck sold in India has to legally announce itself at parking-lot speed. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made a low-speed warning sound called AVAS mandatory for brand-new EV models, while EVs already on sale get until October 1, 2027 to catch up. Two-wheelers and e-rickshaws are not covered, whatever a few reports have implied.
What Is AVAS, and Why Does Your Silent EV Need It?
AVAS stands for Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System. Below a certain speed, an EV or hybrid makes almost no sound, which is great in traffic but genuinely dangerous for a pedestrian, a cyclist, or a visually impaired person who relies on engine noise to know a vehicle is approaching. AVAS fixes that with an artificial hum or tone played through a speaker, loud enough to hear over Indian street noise without becoming a nuisance.
India is not inventing this. The US, Japan, and the EU have all required similar systems for years. MoRTH’s notification, the Central Motor Vehicles (01st Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 07(E), dated January 6, 2026), brings India in line with that global baseline.
The Deadline That Actually Matters: New Models vs Cars Already on Sale
The rule draws a hard line between a car launching fresh and one already in showrooms. Miss this distinction and you will misread every headline about it.
| Vehicle Status | Deadline | What It Means |
| Brand-new EV model (never sold before in India) | October 1, 2026 | Cannot be launched or homologated without AVAS fitted |
| Existing EV model already on sale | October 1, 2027 | One-year grace period to update the model for compliance |
| Electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, e-rickshaws, e-carts (L-category) | Not covered by this rule | No AVAS requirement under G.S.R. 07(E) |
The notification applies to electrified category M vehicles (passenger carriers: hatchback, sedan, SUV, bus) and category N vehicles (goods carriers: trucks and vans), issued under Section 110 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. It requires AVAS to meet the audibility requirements of AIS-173, the Indian technical standard for the system, until a full BIS standard replaces it.
Two- and Three-Wheelers Are Exempt, Despite What You May Have Read
Coverage of this rule has been inconsistent on one point: whether electric three-wheelers and e-rickshaws are included. Some reports list them among the vehicles that must comply. Regulatory trackers reading the amendment’s own category scope say the opposite: L-category vehicles, where two-wheelers, three-wheelers, e-rickshaws, and e-carts sit, fall under a separate exemption in Rule 138 and are not required to fit AVAS here. Since the rule’s own operative text names category M and N vehicles specifically, that is the reading we are going with. If you ride an electric scooter or auto, this deadline is not yours to worry about.
Which EVs on Sale in India Already Have This
Here is the part that should calm most buyers down: AVAS is a small speaker and a sound file, not some expensive part manufacturers now have to scramble to design. Several of India’s best-selling EVs already ship with it.
| Model | Segment | AVAS Status |
| MG Comet EV | Micro EV hatchback | Already fitted |
| Hyundai Creta Electric | Compact SUV | Already fitted |
| Tata Curvv EV | Compact SUV coupe | Already fitted |
| Tata Harrier EV | Mid-size SUV | Already fitted |
| Mahindra BE 6 | Compact SUV coupe | Already fitted |
| Mahindra XEV 9e | Compact SUV coupe | Already fitted |
If you are cross-shopping two of these, the Curvv EV vs Creta Electric comparison tool is a useful place to line up range, price, and features side by side, since AVAS itself will not be a differentiator between them.
MoRTH is not asking automakers to invent something new here. Most of the EVs Indians are actually buying already have this built in. The rule mostly closes the gap for whatever gets launched after it, and forces a small number of older or budget EVs to add a speaker before their one-year window runs out.
What This Actually Sounds Like, and What Nobody Has Confirmed Yet
Reported detail says AVAS activates below roughly 20 kmph and while reversing, then switches off above that, so it will not add highway noise. That figure comes from secondary reporting, not a decibel table MoRTH has published, so treat it as reasonable but unconfirmed. No independent outlet has published a recorded comparison of how loud, or how irritating, these tones are across brands. That test does not exist yet.
What This Means If You Are Buying an EV Right Now
For most buyers, nothing changes. A mainstream EV launched in the last year or two, whether Tata, Mahindra, Hyundai, or MG, almost certainly already has AVAS, and you will never notice this rule exists. It matters more for genuinely new nameplates after October 1, 2026, since a manufacturer skipping this cannot legally sell that model here. The one group who should pay attention is anyone shopping a used or early-batch EV from a smaller brand that entered the market earlier. Ask the dealer directly whether AVAS is fitted rather than assuming.
Do electric scooters and e-rickshaws need AVAS from October 2026?
No. This MoRTH rule covers category M (passenger) and category N (goods) electrified vehicles only. Electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, e-rickshaws, and e-carts fall outside its scope.
Will AVAS make my EV noisy on the highway?
Reported detail on the AIS-173 standard says the sound only plays below roughly 20 kmph and while reversing, then cuts out above that speed, so highway cruising should stay as silent as it is today. MoRTH has not published a public decibel chart to confirm the exact cutoff.
Does my current EV need to be retrofitted by October 2026?
No. That earlier date applies only to brand-new EV models entering the market for the first time. EVs already on sale in India get until October 1, 2027 to comply.
