European Union requires all EV's to make artificial noise below 12 mph

All new model electric vehicles (EVs) in the European Union are now required to make artificial noise under certain conditions. Acoustic Vehicle Alerts Systems (AVAS) will be mandatory on all hybrid and electric EVs by July 2021.

Conditions under which the EV's must make a sound

A BBC News article notes: "New electric vehicles will have to feature a noise-emitting device, under an EU rule coming into force on Monday. It follows concerns that low-emission cars and vans are too quiet, putting pedestrians at risk because they cannot be heard as they approach. All new types of four-wheel electric vehicle must be fitted with the device, which sounds like a traditional engine. A car's acoustic vehicle alert system (Avas) must sound when reversing or traveling below 12mph (19km/h)."

The rule will apply to both all-electric and hybrid vehicles introduced from today on. Existing vehicles must install the AVAS system by July of 2021.

New regulations are due to safety concerns

Electric vehicles are a lot quieter than tradition internal combustion engines. This can pose a danger to other road users in that people do not hear them coming. This is particularly true for blind or partially sighted pedestrians. In November of 2017 the charity Guide Dogs sent a written submission to the UK parliament pointing out that research shows that electric and hybrid vehicles are 40 percent more likely to be involved in accidents that cause injury to pedestrians.

Manufacturers will be able to decide exactly what their AVAS will be like. However, the EU regulations require that the sound should be similar too but not louder than that of tradition internal combustion engines. The sound should also give some clue as to what the vehicle is doing, for example accelerating. Jaguar has already made public what its I-Pace will sound like as indicated on the appended video. Nissan introduced a concept vehicle back in 2017 that "sings" as it travels.

The US will introduce similar laws new year

The US National Highway Safety Administration will require that all hybrid and all-electric vehicles emit artificial noise by September of 2020. The US regulations require the vehicles emit the noise to a somewhat higher speed than in the EU, of 18.6 miles per hour.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

In spite of more EVs on the road peak oil production not yet reached

In a new report the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) says that the demand for oil will decline only modestly in spite of the increasing use of electric vehicles (EVs) over the next two decades.

The IEA report "World Energy Outlook 2017" claims the global energy scene is in a state of flux. There is a rapid deployment of renewable technologies as there is a steep decline in their costs. Electricity is of growing importance as electric vehicles become more common.

The report notes that there are profound changes taking place in China's economy and energy policy with moves away from the use of coal. In the US there is a continued surge in shale gas and light oil production.

A recent update report released just this week points out that consumption of petrochemicals is still growing even as oil is facing competition from cheaper and more environmentally friendly energy sources.

Oil prices will continue to rise over next decade

Although the IEA has cut its longer term projection for oil prices, due to lower costs of renewable and conventional sources of energy as well as global attempts to mitigate climate warming, the price of oil is predicted to continue to rise toward $83 a barrel by the mid-2020s.

Over the longer term the IEA expect oil prices to settle within a range of $50 to $70 a barrel.

Oregon Department of Transportation

A huge increase in number of EV's

By 2025 the IEA estimates that there will be about 50 million EV's in use. By 2040 this should climb to 300 million.

As of now there are only close to 2 million EVs on the road.

However even by 2040, EV use will cut only 2.5 million bpd or a mere 2 percent of global oil demand.

Laura Cozzi head of the Energy Demand Outlook division of the IEA said: "It's quite spectacular, because you're going to see the number of cars on the road (globally) double from 1 billion to 2 billion, thanks to electric vehicles and fuel economy standards. Many commentators say we are writing the obituary for oil demand ... it is certainly true in the passenger car segment and in power generation, but it is not true in the other two elements of oil demand: transportation and petrochemicals."

More power generation to come from renewables

Power generation will increasingly rely on renewables rather than on coal and oil.

The IEA estimates that more solar power capacity will be added each year than any other energy source, with an annual average increase of almost 70 gigawatts.

The IEA claims: "There are many possible pathways ahead and many potential pitfalls if governments or industry misread the signs of change."

United States appears poised to become leader in oil and gas production

The U.S. may become the most disruptive force on the supply of fossil fuels with its huge growth in shale oil production. By 2040 it may be the clear leader in oil and gas production.

Tim Gould head of the Energy Supply Outlook division of IEA said: "We are now witnessing a period of expansion in U.S. oil and gas production that matches or exceeds any historical records ever achieved by the oil and gas industry."

The IEA estimates the peak of US oil production will reach about 17 million bpd and will be reached during the 2020's.

The military as energy consumer

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is one of the largest energy consumers on the globe and is responsible for 93 percent of all U.S. government fuel consumption.

In 2006 the DoD used almost 30,000 gigawatt hours of electricity at a cost of close to $2.2 billion. This would be enough to supply about 2.6 million average US homes.

If the DoD were a country it uses slightly less than Denmark and a bit more than Syria.

Annually the DoD uses a humongous 4,600,000,000 of fuel annually. This is an average of 12,600,000 gallons or 48,000,000 liters a day. As a country the DoD would come just ahead of Sweden in daily oil usage.

The U.S. armed forces are making some attempts to become more green. The U.S. Air Force in particular is changing its planes to run on liquid synthetic fuel blends and also to use Hydrotreated Renewable jet fuel.

Previously published in Digital Journal