Roadside assistance services help thousands of drivers annually with various mechanical and towing solutions.
But most of these services are designed for conventional combustion engine vehicles.
So, what happens when your electric vehicle (EV) breaks down?
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Fortunately, some solutions do exist.
What are these solutions, and how are they different from normal roadside assistance services?
How Is Roadside Assistance Different for Electric and Normal Vehicles?
Roadside assistance usually provides jump-starts, fuel delivery, and towing services for gas-powered and hybrid vehicles.
But the coverage is insufficient for vehicles that are fully powered by electricity.
As a result, most auto manufacturers recommend loading the EV onto a truck to avoid damaging the vehicle.
But issues arise when running low or out of sufficient battery charge in an EV.
Last year, AAA started adding the SparkCharge Roadie to its fleet as a portable charging solution for EVs.
SparkCharge is the first company that offers a “charging-as-a-service” solution to EV owners.
It uses a modular unit built up ofbattery modules with lithium-Ion cells.
When stacked, the battery modules can deliver a battery charge of about a mile per minute.
AAAoffers three plans with membership costs ranging from $59.99 to $119.99 per year.
The company is constantly making efforts to cover electric and hybrid vehicles under its roadside assistance plans.
Most RAC recovery vans are now equipped with EV Boost to top up stricken EVs.
The RAC can currently deliver approximately 14 miles of battery charge per hour using the 3.5kW mobile chargers.
RAC offers three plans and additional features for a premium.
RCA also has modified 4x4 pick-up trucks with 4-wheel trailers in the load bed.
These trucks can be used to recover EVs without conventionally towing them.
Tesla Roadside Assistance
Tesla offers a free roadside assistance program comparable to AAA and RCA roadside assistance.
Roadside Assistance for EVsWhat Should You Do?
Despite the rising popularity of electric vehicles, range anxiety remains a major obstacle to their widespread adoption.
