Exploring the Suitability of AVAS for Electric Scooters

Taiwan, which has the highest density of scooters in the world, has promoted the electrification of its scooter industry through policies, and electric scooters now account for more than 10% of the total scooter market. However, the nearly silent operation of electric scooters at low speeds has raised safety concerns. To address these safety concerns, the European Union and other countries, including Taiwan, have proposed regulations requiring the installation of noise devices on electric scooters. Considering the high density of scooters in Taiwan and its status as a key electric scooter manufacturing country, it is important to design appropriate warning sounds for electric scooters. This study aimed to explore the public's perception of the suitability and auditory perception of the acoustic vehicle alerting system (AVAS). The AVAS consists of three types of warning sounds: turn signal, slow-speed warning sound, and backup alarm sound. This investigation was conducted through a questionnaire survey and interviews. The results of this study show that the general public had a low level of recognition of the suitability of the existing AVAS for electric scooters. Moreover, the similarity between the sample sounds was high, resulting in a situation where the sounds were indistinguishable. The acoustic features of the electric scooter AVAS’s sounds directly affect the recognition and perception of the sounds. The results of this study are intended to provide guidance and suggestions to brands, designers, and researchers for the future design of electric scooter warning sounds.