Carmakers have successfully lobbied the US government to push back the enforcement of a rule that requires hybrid and electric vehicles to emit a noise when traveling under 19 miles per hour. Originally slated to go into effect in late 2019, the deadline for automakers to add noise to all hybrids and EVs in production is now September 2020. In the meantime, just 50 percent of a company’s hybrid and electric vehicles produced on or after September 1st, 2019, must emit a noise that complies with the rule.

This means the first hybrids and EVs to make the mandated noise will now be (some) model year 2020 vehicles. But it’s not certain that all these vehicles will sound the same. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also…

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