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?
Fortunately, some solutions do exist. Although they are not as convenient as assistance services for normal vehicles, their features and plans are tailored to the needs of stranded EV drivers.
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.
For starters, it doesn't make sense for recovery vans to carry around heavy batteries and help stranded drivers with depleted EV batteries.
Secondly, the functionality of motors and the lack of true neutral gear in an electric car make towing a risky solution. As a result, most auto manufacturers recommend loading the EV onto a truck to avoid damaging the vehicle.
3 Roadside Assistance Services for EVs
Many roadside assistance services that serve gas-powered vehicles still offer mechanical first aid, tire replacement, and lockout services to members who drive electric vehicles. But issues arise when running low or out of sufficient battery charge in an EV.
While there are many solutions to the "out of fuel" problem in combustion engine vehicles, an equivalent solution for EVs is missing.
So, if your EV breaks down on a trip in the middle of nowhere, what are your options for EV roadside assistance?
1. AAA Roadside Assistance
The American Automobile Association, or AAA, is a membership-based service that offers roadside assistance and mobile charging solution for electric vehicles. It's one of the largest roadside services, with a fleet of 63,000 towing and service trucks across the US and Canada.
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 of battery modules with lithium-Ion cells. When stacked, the battery modules can deliver a battery charge of about a mile per minute.
AAA offers three plans with membership costs ranging from $59.99 to $119.99 per year.
- Classic Plan: The AAA Classic plan covers battery jump-start, tire replacement, locksmith service for up to $50, and up to five miles of standard towing service. The Classic plan is available for $59.99 per year.
- Plus Plan: Starting at $94.99 per year, the Plus plan includes all the features of the Classic plan with added benefits. Members receive up to 100 miles of free towing, trip interruption, and baggage coverage within the US, Mexico, and Canada.
- Premier Coverage Plan: The Premier plan offers the highest level of coverage and is ideal for frequent travelers. Membership costs $119.99 annually and includes all the features and benefits of the Classic and Plus plans. Additional benefits include a one-day free rental car service and a free home lockout service.
2. RAC Roadside Assistance
The Royal Automobile Club, or simply RAC, is one of the largest roadside assistance services operating in the UK and Australia. 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 EV Boost system uses a diesel engine and a generator to produce electricity which can be fed to the EV using a Type 1 or Type 2 connection.
The RAC can currently deliver approximately 14 miles of battery charge per hour using the 3.5kW mobile chargers. However, it plans to launch a new 7.5kW EV Boost charger by the end of 2022, adding around 25 miles of range per hour.
RAC offers three plans and additional features for a premium.
- Basic Plan: It's the cheapest level of breakdown cover that includes roadside assistance and a limited number of callouts. The RAC will fix your car on the spot if you are over ¼ miles from your home under the basic plan. It also offers recovery of up to 10 miles to a garage or another destination. You can call up to 5 times a year unless you upgrade.
- Standard Plan: The standard plan includes all the features of the basic plan and at-home assistance. You can request RAC's assistance service as often as you need under the standard plan.
- Ultimate Plan: In addition to the features in the basic and standard plans, the ultimate plan covers unlimited towing distance and callouts per year. You also get a national recovery service that will transport you and your passengers to any destination in the UK.
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.
3. Tesla Roadside Assistance
Tesla offers a free roadside assistance program comparable to AAA and RCA roadside assistance. The coverage begins when the vehicle is delivered to you and is good for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
Tesla roadside assistance is provided under the Battery and Drive Unit Limited Warranty and covers issues related to the two components. You are responsible for roadside events unrelated to the two components or that occur past the mileage limit or timeframe.
To request immediate roadside assistance from Tesla, follow these steps:
- Open the Tesla app home screen and select Roadside.
- Select the issue(s) for which you need help.
- Provide additional details related to the request.
- Select Request help.
As per Tesla's roadside assistance policy [PDF], roadside assistance can help you with breakdowns, flat tires, and lockouts. If you have a depleted battery or can't reach the nearest charging station, you can still request help; however, it isn't a financially covered service.
Roadside Assistance for EVs—What Should You Do?
Despite the rising popularity of electric vehicles, range anxiety remains a major obstacle to their widespread adoption. In addition, while most roadside assistance programs will help you with a flat tire, lockout, or minor mechanical repair, very few offer solutions for a depleted EV battery.
While EV roadside assistance services offer mobile charging and other mechanical repairs in an emergency, we advise planning longer journeys with EVs more carefully than with combustion engine vehicles.
Pay attention to your EVs estimated range and use a route-planning app to see where high-speed chargers are when taking a trip. Where in a gas-powered car, you carry water, fuel, and a spare fanbelt, we recommend carrying a couple of charging leads and adapters in your EV, so you can get charge from any electrical outlet when running low or out of battery.