AVAS is now mandatory on new EV models: what the 1 October 2026 rule changes for buyers

AVAS is now mandatory on new EV models: what the 1 October 2026 rule changes for buyers

Since 1 October 2026, no new electric car model can be approved for sale in India without an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, the artificial sound an EV makes at walking pace so pedestrians hear it coming. The rule comes from a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, and it reaches every model already on sale a year later, on 1 October 2027. If you are mid-shortlist, our list of every electric car on sale is the place to start checking which ones already carry it.

The rule has been coming for a year. What changed on 1 October is that it stopped being a date in a gazette and started applying to type approvals, so every EV launched from here on, including the Volvo EX90 and ES90 due on 12 October and the Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric due on 4 November, has to meet it.

What MoRTH has confirmed

MoRTH first published the requirement as draft notification G.S.R. 714(E), dated 23 September 2025 and made public on 25 September 2025. The final amendment rules are dated 2 January 2026 and appeared in the Gazette of India on 6 January 2026. The operative text is unchanged from the draft: electrified vehicles of category M and N must carry an AVAS that meets the audibility requirements of AIS-173.

Figures from MoRTH draft G.S.R. 714(E) on morth.nic.in and the final Gazette notification of 6 January 2026 on egazette.gov.in, both accessed 8 October 2026.

New model versus existing model: the line that matters

The rule attaches at type approval and manufacture, not at registration. A model that was approved before 1 October 2026 can keep being built and sold without AVAS until 30 September 2027, so a Navratri or Diwali purchase of an existing model is legal whether or not the car makes the sound. A model approved from 1 October 2026 cannot be approved without it.

The wording matters too. MoRTH writes electrified vehicles, not battery-electric vehicles, and has not published a separate note on whether strong and plug-in hybrids sit inside that term. Anyone cross-shopping a hybrid against an EV in our comparison tool should ask the dealer which version of the car is on the approval certificate.

What AVAS does on the road

AIS-173, the standard the rule cites, is India's adoption of UN Regulation No. 138, which requires the sound from start-up up to 20km/h and while reversing. Above that speed, tyre and wind noise do the job. The point is the car park, the school gate and the narrow lane, where an EV at 10km/h is close to silent and a pedestrian looking at a phone has no warning.

Several EVs on sale already fit the system voluntarily, and some let the driver pick from more than one sound. The standard sets minimum audibility and an upper limit, so a maker cannot fit something that only works on a test track. MoRTH's notification does not say whether a driver may pause the sound, so that detail sits with each model's approval.

Should you book now or wait for 2027 stock?

For most buyers, the absence of AVAS on a car approved before the deadline is not a reason to walk away. It is a reason to ask one question at the showroom and to factor it in if you live or drive somewhere with heavy foot traffic. Our top rated electric cars already weigh practical safety equipment, and we will add AVAS fitment to the model pages as approvals change.

The ThatsmyEV Take

We think MoRTH got this one right and got the timing right. Giving existing models a year means no carmaker has to pull a car off sale during the festive season, and new models have had since January to design the system in rather than bolt it on.

The thing that will decide whether it works is not the hardware but the noise floor of an Indian street. A sound tuned to UN audibility limits may vanish in a Mumbai market at 7 pm. The standard allows makers to go above the minimum, and the ones that do will have the better system.

Our advice on 8 October 2026: if you are buying an existing EV model before 1 October 2027, ask whether it has AVAS, and if you drive daily through school zones, markets or housing-society lanes, prefer the version that does. If it does not, it is not a deal-breaker; it is a feature to note, as ThatsMyEV notes it in every review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AVAS mandatory for electric cars in India?

Yes. Under the MoRTH amendment notified in the Gazette on 6 January 2026, AVAS is mandatory on new electric car models from 1 October 2026 and on all existing models from 1 October 2027. It must meet the AIS-173 audibility standard.

What is AVAS in an electric car?

AVAS, the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, makes an artificial sound when an electric car moves slowly so that pedestrians and cyclists hear it. Under AIS-173, aligned with UN Regulation No. 138, it works from start-up to 20km/h and in reverse.

Do existing EVs need AVAS from October 2026?

No. Models approved before 1 October 2026 have until 1 October 2027 to add AVAS. Until then they can be built and sold without it, and the rule does not require retrofitting cars already registered.

Does the AVAS rule apply to electric scooters?

No. The MoRTH notification covers electrified vehicles in categories M and N, meaning passenger vehicles and goods vehicles. Electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and e-rickshaws in category L are not covered.

Can I switch off AVAS in my EV?

The MoRTH notification does not address a driver-operated off or pause switch, so it depends on the model's approval. AVAS is a type-approval item on new models, and disabling it would take the car out of its approved specification.

Does AVAS apply to hybrid cars?

The MoRTH rule uses the term electrified vehicles rather than battery-electric vehicles. MoRTH has not published a separate clarification on how strong and plug-in hybrids are treated, so check the approval of the specific model.

When was the AVAS notification issued?

MoRTH issued draft G.S.R. 714(E) on 23 September 2025 and the final amendment rules dated 2 January 2026, published in the Gazette of India on 6 January 2026. The new-model deadline of 1 October 2026 did not change.

Should I avoid buying an EV without AVAS?

Not necessarily. An EV approved before 1 October 2026 is fully legal without AVAS until the existing-model deadline. If you drive mostly through crowded streets, a version with AVAS is the safer pick.

More EV rule changes and launch coverage sit in our EV news section and the basics in our Learn hub.

Sources

MoRTH draft notification G.S.R. 714(E) dated 23 September 2025, morth.nic.in; Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notification dated 2 January 2026, Gazette of India of 6 January 2026, egazette.gov.in; both accessed 8 October 2026. AIS-173 alignment with UN Regulation No. 138 is documented in the standard.