The new electric Skoda will feature a warning sound so that pedestrians are aware that the vehicle is approaching, the company has confirmed.
The move, which has been undertaken following legislation on the issue of quiet electric vehicles, will be know as an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System and make it safer for pedestrians when crossing the road.
The vehicle manufacturer employed professional composers to develop a ‘futuristic’ sound rather than mimicking the noise made by an internal combustion engine and exhaust system.
The firm wanted a sound that was ‘easy on the ear’ but also altered pedestrians enough to the presence of an EV. It was built into the front of the new Skoda – the Enyaq – with the speaker and electronics placed within a small one-litre box.
Speaking about the product, Michael Oeljeklaus, production and logistics board member at Skoda, said the new SUV placed “entirely different demands on manufacturing processes” and production sequences than models with combustion engines. As a result, preparation and conversion measures had been implemented at its main plant last summer.
Deliveries of the vehicle are expected in the UK in spring 2021 with two battery sizes and four power outputs with either rear of four wheel drive. A maximum range of 316 miles is achieved on the battery, dependant on specification of the vehicle.
