Reader has some concerns about electric cars
The beeping or whining sounds that electric and hybrid electric make is required by federal law to warn pedestrians that a moving vehicle is nearby. This system is called acoustic vehicle alerting system.
Wheels: Bruce L. writes by email: “I have owned several Mustangs and I have been seeing what Ford calls a Mustang electric vehicle, but to me it is not a real Mustang. It does not make any good engine sounds and instead they make an annoying beeping sound while traveling slowly or backing up. I am also concerned about charging an electric car, and here are some of my questions:
1. Does each car brand use their own charging plug? In other words, do I have to find a Ford charging station to charge an electric Ford?
2. Can I use a Tesla Supercharger to charge a Ford EV?
3. What do I need to charge from my home?
4. How do I find charging stations if I travel from Florida to another state to visit friends or family?”
Halderman: Thanks for writing, and I, too, have owned several Mustangs, all with V8s, and I, too, love the sound they make.
The beeping or whining sounds that electric and hybrid electric make is required by federal law to warn pedestrians that a moving vehicle is nearby. This system is called acoustic vehicle alerting system. It creates the sound whenever the vehicle is traveling at low speed. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires the device to emit warning sounds when traveling at speeds less than 19 MPH. While easily heard from outside the vehicle, it is usually not heard inside the vehicle unless the windows are down.
Regarding charging, it is relatively easy as there are standards so that most electric vehicles can use most charging stations. The only exception are the Tesla superchargers, which are designed to be used only by Tesla vehicles. The three levels and estimated charging times include:
■ Level 1- 110/120 volts. This is the standard electrical outlet that most home and garages have available. This can be used to charge any electric vehicle without special charging equipment. However, it can only supply enough electrical energy to allow 5 miles of travel per hour of charging. If using a Level 1 outlet, the vehicle can be charged to supply a range of 50 miles if charged overnight (10 hours).
■ Level 2 –210/220 volts. A level 2 charger can be installed at home and can supply 12 to 25 miles of range per hour of charging. Most commercial charging stations at stores and hotels (often free to use) are level 2. Most EVs include a cable to plug into 220-volt outlet. An electrician is often needed to make sure that the circuit and wiring is up to code to allow the use of a level 2 charger at home.
■ Level 3- 440/480 voltsLevel 3 charging stations are expensive to install and therefore require a charge to use, but they can charge most electric vehicles in less than an hour.
Most EVs (except Tesla) use a standard SAE J1772 plug. This means that any EV can be charged from any charging station. Level 3 charging stations usually use the SAE Combo Charging System connector.