Are There Emergency EV Charging Services?

Running out of juice in an electric vehicle (EV) is a challenging situation. Unlike running out of fuel in an internal combustion engine vehicle, you can’t simply walk to a nearby gas station and fill up a gas canister to bring fuel back to your vehicle. With a traditional vehicle, roadside assistance can also help by giving a few liters of gas to send you on your way. Unfortunately, electrical energy can’t be transported or stored as easily as gasoline. Luckily, there are some emerging emergency EV charging services that might find their way to you.

Emergency Mobile EV Charging Systems

The emergence of EV high-speed charging systems might mean that roadside assistance providers can simply drive to your location and charge your vehicle. Just like Level 3 fast charging stations, mobile EV charging systems bypass the vehicle’s onboard charging system and directly send power to the battery. A mobile charger can do this because the electricity it’s pumping uses direct current (DC), which is the type of current that EV batteries use to charge.

Several companies are developing mobile EV chargers.

EV Assistance from Roadside Assistance Providers

If you ever find yourself without fuel, or in this case without battery power, you likely need to call for help. Fortunately, many roadside assistance providers across the country can help bring your vehicle to the nearest EV charger.

One popular roadside assistance provider is the American Automobile Association (AAA). It offers a subscription service that entitles subscribers to roadside assistance of varying distances, among other benefits.

Back in 2011, AAA put EV chargers on some of its trucks in densely populated cities like Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Orlando. However, it retired these chargers in 2019. It’s currently unclear when a similar service will be offered again, but AAA does say it is evaluating all options so it can provide mobile EV charging to its members in the future. Even though AAA doesn’t offer mobile charging, it can still help EV drivers who have run out of juice by giving them a tow to the nearest EV charging station.

Preventing Emergency Charging

Most EVs have built-in features to prevent their users from running out of batteries. Tesla’s navigation system can plot routes that specifically pass by fast-charging stations. Most EVs can also accurately gauge how many miles they can travel before needing to charge, so drivers can plan accordingly.

Given how EVs only still account for less than 1% of vehicles in the United States, accommodating EVs that have specifically run out of charge might not be worth it for roadside assistance providers since a simple tow can do the job.

Running out of range because of a lack of nearby EV chargers will continue to be a problem because EV infrastructure is still developing. For now, it’s still your best bet to have good foresight and plan your trips around fast-charging stations.

A company called SparkCharge is offering mobile EV charging technology in the form of mobile chargers built from lithium-ion battery modules. Its mobile chargers are meant to be delivered to locations where drivers know they’re going to be waiting. This can be at a restaurant, during a business meeting, or during a doctor’s appointment. The technology is meant to prevent emergency charging in the first place. The lithium-ion battery packs are called Roadies, and they’re composed of a charger unit that weighs 36 pounds and batteries that weigh 65 pounds each. These chargers are meant to be delivered when requested through its subscription-based app called Currently. 

The service can be helpful for EV drivers since fixed-location charging stations can be out of the way and too time-consuming for a dedicated visit. Additionally, not all people have chargers at home, so SparkCharge’s technology and services can offer a convenient solution for people who don’t have access to fast-charging stations and charging equipment.