AVAS is a safety mandate for electric and hybrid vehicles traveling at low speeds. Because electric motors produce almost no mechanical noise, exterior waterproof speakers broadcast a continuous synthetic hum or frequency-shifting tone. This alerts visually impaired pedestrians and cyclists to the vehicle's approach before tire and wind noise become prominent at higher speeds.
The customer hit a massive puddle and shorted out the front AVAS speaker, so the car is completely silent in parking lots now.
Also heard as
- acoustic vehicle alerting system
- pedestrian warning system
Related terms
EV
An electric vehicle uses one or more electric motors for propulsion instead of an internal combustion engine.
PHEV
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle combines a combustion engine with a grid-chargeable battery pack.
ADAS
Advanced driver-assistance systems that use sensors and cameras to improve vehicle safety.