Brigade Electronics launches Quiet Vehicle Sounder at CV Show
Brigade Electronics, the Kent firm which pioneered reversing alarms in the UK in 1976, has launched its Quiet Vehicle Sounder (QVS) at the CV Show.
Brigade has called the QVS “probably the biggest breakthrough in road safety since the reversing alarm” and chairman Chris Hanson-Abbott has campaigned for over a decade to require the fitment of a QVS to electric vehicles, which he has dubbed “silent killers”.
After 11 years and over 50 meetings the UN finally ratified regulation UNECE R138 specifying the standards for acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS) and from September 2019 all new models of road-going battery electric, hybrid and fuel cell powered vehicles, including electric cargo bikes, must come fitted with an approved AVAS.
All new EVs registered after September 2021 will also have to fit an approved device but Brigade is urging operators already putting quiet vehicles on the roads to fit the sounders – which cost under £300 from Brigade – now to help prevent collisions with vulnerable road users.
Because EVs are nearly silent, pedestrians are often unaware that they are approaching or about to pull away. A study the Guide Dogs for the Blind shows that pedestrians are 40% more likely to be struck by an EC than a diesel or petrol vehicles.
Under UNECE R138, the AVAS must start emitting the sound, which is limited to 75dBA at a distance of 1m, as soon as the ignition is switched on, though it is disabled when the park brake is applied. The volume of the AVAS automatically increases as the vehicle speeds up but cuts off when the vehicle reaches 30kph by when tyre and other noise will be an adequate alert to the vehicles’ approach.
The pitch of the sound also changes as the EV speeds up and slows down, mimicking an internal combustion engine. After much deliberation, the UN committee ruled out fitting a ‘pause’ button enabling the driver to manually disable the AVAS.
“The sound must be distinctive and command attention but must not startle people or horses” Chris Hanson-Abbott, chairman, Brigade Electronics
One reason agreement on the standard took so long was the difficulty in finding a sound that was clear enough to be audible in heavy city traffic but would not disturb residents at night. Like Brigade’s smart ‘white sound’ reversing alarms, the QVS uses broadband sound frequencies to ensure it is directional and easy for pedestrians to locate the source.
Hanson-Abbott said: “We trialled over 40 different sounds and ended up with our patented QVS. It doesn’t need a lot of decibels because the broadband spectrum means it is impossible to mask the whole sound.”
The complexity of UNECE R138 means that while most of the volume EV manufacturers will produce their own AVAS, it will undoubtedly put off some smaller OEMs who will probably look to Brigade to supply its QVS product.
TfL, which operates a number of electric buses in London, is working with the Transport Research Laboratory to develop its own slightly different AVAS to differentiate its buses from electric cars, vans and, at some point, trucks.
l What does it sound like? To hear a demo – it’s a no more than a low hum – go to https://brigade-electronics.com/products/reversing-and-warning-alarms/quiet-vehicle-sounder. The QVS consists of five sounds of different frequencies and pressures as specified by the regulations.
Time is right for Euro-6 investment says Evans Halshaw
The forthcoming prospect of clean air zones in cities across the country means operators should look to invest in Euro-6 vehicles as soon as possible. That’s according to Evans Halshaw group used truck sales leader Guy Pinder who says that “operators are being forced into a corner”.
“The Euro-5 market is at an all-time low, so the longer operators leave trading in their trucks the less value they will get for part exchanges. They need to be looking to change them as soon as possible. If you do leave it too long you will have to panic and that will cost you. There are still people who think it’s [clean air zones] not going to happen, but we know they are going to, so it’s just a case of trying to get the customer to switch to Euro-6 as soon as they can.”
Pinder believes the market for used Euro-6 trucks has now reached a point whereby they are a sensible investment for companies not looking to commit to a new vehicle.
“I don’t like to say it, but Brexit is affecting people’s buying decisions, but you can’t ignore that clean air zones are coming to several major cities. If operators do buy a Euro-6 they don’t have to worry about any additional costs for taking vehicles into city centre. Many operators aren’t confident in buying new, but rather than wait on the uncertainty, my personal opinion is to buy a used Euro-6 before preparing to make the commitment for a new Euro-6 truck. That way you’ll have been running with a Euro-6 and can go into any zone in the UK, but then when confidence to the industry comes back you can commit to a new one. It’s all about getting the customer the right vehicle for this moment in time and I belive that is a used Euro-6,” Pinder said.
Several cities are proposing new clean air zones along the lines of the newly created London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Leeds and Birmingham are set to roll out schemes of their own next year, while Southampton, Nottingham and Derby are all required to produce their own plans to tackle emissions levels.
Leeds will begin charging from 6 January 2020 and its area will cover most of the city centre with a £50 charge levied against heavy goods vehicles. Birmingham will introduce its zone from 1 January 2020 covering the area inside the inner ring road of the city. Other towns and cities considering their own clean air zones include Bath, Sheffield and Manchester with expected fees for non-compliant trucks ranging from £30 to £100.
Pinder added: “Operators across the country could be hit with huge charges to enter cities and they need to be prepared. Buying a new truck isn’t for everyone, but we are prepared with a good choice of Euro-6 stock available at our sites in Leeds, Stockton and Sheffield. All of which can be delivered across the country to meet clean air zones from Southampton to Glasgow.”
