§571.141. Standard No. 141; Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. — Inbound Citations

(1) ANSI S1.11-2004, “Specification for Octave-Band and Fractional-Octave-Band Analog and Digital Filters,” approved February 19, 2004, into § 571.141.

(12) An alert sound as required by § 571.141.

S6. General test conditions. Each vehicle must meet the performance limit specified in S5(a) under the following test conditions.

S6.1. Ambient conditions.

S6.1.1. Ambient temperature. The ambient temperature is any temperature between 0 °C (32 °F) and 40 °C (104 °F).

S6.1.2. Wind speed. The wind speed is not greater than 5 m/s (11.2 mph).

S6.2. Road test surface.

S6.2.1. Pavement friction. Unless otherwise specified, the road test surface produces a peak friction coefficient (PFC) of 1.02 when measured using a ASTM F2493 standard reference test tire, in accordance with ASTM E1337-19, at a speed of 64.4 km/h (40.0 mph), without water delivery (incorporated by reference; see § 571.5).

S6.2.2. Gradient. The test surface has not more than a 1 percent gradient in the direction of testing and not more than a 2 percent gradient perpendicular to the direction of testing.

S6.2.3. Lane width. The lane width is not less than 3.5 m (11.5 ft).

S6.3. Vehicle conditions.

S6.3.1. The test weight for maximum speed is unloaded vehicle weight plus a mass of 78 kg (170 pounds), including driver and instrumentation.

S6.3.2. No adjustment, repair or replacement of any component is allowed after the start of the first performance test.

S6.3.3. Tire inflation pressure. Cold inflation pressure is not more than the maximum permissible pressure molded on the tire sidewall.

S6.3.4. Break-in. The vehicle completes the manufacturer's recommended break-in agenda as a minimum condition prior to beginning the performance tests.

S6.3.5. Vehicle openings. All vehicle openings (doors, windows, hood, trunk, convertible top, cargo doors, etc.) are closed except as required for instrumentation purposes.

S6.3.6. Battery powered vehicles. Prior to beginning the performance tests, propulsion batteries are at the state of charge recommended by the manufacturer or, if the manufacturer has made no recommendation, at a state of charge of not less than 95 percent. No further charging of any propulsion battery is permissible.

S7. Test procedure. Each vehicle must meet the performance limit specified in S5(a) under the following test procedure. The maximum speed performance is determined by measuring the maximum attainable vehicle speed at any point in a distance of 1.6 km (1.0 mile) from a standing start and repeated in the opposite direction within 30 minutes.

This subpart establishes requirements for manufacturers of hybrid and electric passenger cars, trucks, buses, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and low-speed vehicles to submit a report, and maintain records related to the report, concerning the number of such vehicles that meet minimum sound requirements of Standard No. 141, Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (49 CFR 571.141).

The purpose of these reporting requirements is to assist the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in determining whether a manufacturer has complied with the minimum sound requirements of Standard No. 141, Minimum Sound for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (49 CFR 571.141).

This subpart applies to manufacturers of hybrid and electric passenger cars, trucks, buses, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and low-speed vehicles subject to the phase-in requirements of S9.1 Hybrid and Electric Vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2020, and before March 1, 2021 (49 CFR 571.141).

(d) Electric Vehicle, and hybrid vehicle are used as defined in § 571.141 of this chapter.

At any time, each manufacturer shall, upon request from the Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, provide information identifying the vehicles (by make, model and vehicle identification number) that have been certified as complying with the requirements of Standard No. 141, Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (49 CFR 571.141). The manufacturer's designation of a vehicle as a certified vehicle is irrevocable.

(a) Within 60 days after February 28, 2021, each manufacturer shall submit a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning its compliance with the requirements of Standard No. 141, Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (49 CFR 571.141), for its vehicles produced from March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021. Each report shall provide the information specified in paragraph (b) of this section and in § 585.2.