A man in the United States recently went viral after being pulled over for the “loud exhaust” on his electric vehicle.
Mike, a Dodge Charger EV owner from Minnesota, was pulled over by a state trooper after he allegedly “peeled away loud as hell”.
The driver received three fines, one for “loud muffler/loud exhaust”, “public nuisance – annoy/injure/endanger safety,” and another unrelated vehicle defect notice for the way his front and rear plates were displayed.
In the video listed below, you can see the state trooper make mention of the fact that the owner has been warned about his exhaust in the past, to which the owner says that the car he is currently in is electric, receiving the reply from the state trooper, “I’m not going to argue with you.”
The owner did mention to American publication, The Drive, that he was in a group of other car enthusiasts, which could’ve caused the confusion; however, there is a little more to the story.
The new EV Dodge Charger is fitted with what’s called a “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system”, used to mimic the sound and vibration of an internal combustion vehicle through speakers and subwoofers.
Dodge has stated in previous media reports that these speakers can reach up to 126 decibels, which, for reference, is above the 90 decibels required for sound compliance by most new cars on sale in Australia.
While Minnesota does not have a set sound restriction level, it instead enforces noise based on the discretion of the officer pulling you over.
But it does beg the question, can you get a fine for your exhaust note on an EV in Australia? Cars such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, available for purchase in Australia, feature a similar system.
Well, technically, but technically not. Australian police have the power to hand out a fine called “drive/use vehicle with sound system emitting offensive noise”, which can land you a $200 fine and two demerits in New South Wales.
This covers motorists who may be playing loud noises from the vehicle, whether that be sirens, noises, or even just loud music that could be deemed an “offensive level”.
No doubt having an external fake exhaust sound from your car emitting at 126 decibels would attract the attention of the police and likely get you fined.
There is also the implication that the state trooper claimed the electric Dodge “peeled away”. In Australia, you can be fined for rapidly accelerating without ever breaking the speed limit.
There are “start/drive vehicle causing unnecessary noise/smoke” if the vehicle breaks traction while accelerating, which can score you up to three demerit points in some states.
If an officer deems your rapid acceleration as dangerous, even if you don’t break the speed limit, you could be fined for hoon-related offences, dangerous driving or street racing, which could actually see your licence suspended and score you a court date.
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
