G/TBT/N/USA/1526  
19 September 2019  
(19-6048) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AME RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT) [1553]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicab le): Hybrid 
and electric motor vehicles ; Noise with respect to human beings (ICS 13.140), Road 
vehicle systems (ICS 43.040), Electric road vehicles (ICS 43.120)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141, Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric 
Vehicles (7 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  This notice proposes to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard (FMVSS) No. 141, Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric 
Vehicles, to allow manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles (HEVs) to install a number 
of driver -selectable pedest rian alert sounds in each HEV they manufacture. This proposal 
responds to a petition for reconsideration of the FMVSS No. 141 final rule published 
14 December 2016. NHTSA is proposing to remove the limit to the number of compliant 
sounds that a manufacture r may choose to install in a vehicle. Drivers would be able to 
select the sound they prefer from the set of sounds installed in the vehicle. NHTSA is also 
seeking comment on whether interested parties believe that the agency should establish 
a limit to the  number of compliant sounds from which a driver may select that a 
manufacturer may choose to install in a vehicle.  This document also makes technical 
changes.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection  of human health or safety; Cost saving and productivity 
enhancement  G/TBT/N/USA/1526  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 84 Federal Register (FR) 48866, 17 September 2019; Title 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 571 and 585:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2019-09-17/html/2019 -19874.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2019-09-17/pdf/2019 -19874.pdf  
G/TBT/N/USA/777 and s ubsequent addenda  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  1 November 2019  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/USA/19_5159_00_e.pdf