When you run out of gas, it’s not the end of the world as you can walk to a nearby gas station or have someone bring fuel to you. In an electric vehicle, things are more complicated, but AAA is here to help.
At the New York Auto Show, the organization showcased a mobile EV charger that is essentially a Ford F-350 with a generator. The latter is mounted on sliders, which enable the generator to be pulled out and connected to a stranded electric vehicle.
From there, the generator is fired up and the electric vehicle is given enough juice to either get home or to a proper charger. The solution isn’t ideal, but neither is towing an ‘empty’ EV to the nearest charger.
More: There Are More Public Charging Stations Than Ever, But That’s Still Not Enough
Live Pictures: Michael Gauthier for CarScoops
While electric vehicles are often seen as a relatively new phenomenon, AAA launched their initial mobile charging pilot over a decade ago. The original five prototypes were retired in 2020 and knowledge gained from them helped to create the new generation of support vehicles.
The mobile chargers are being piloted in 15 cities including Denver, Nashville, Orlando, San Francisco, and Indianapolis. While EV-loving California is being seriously neglected, AAA said they’ll “continue to assess the demand for mobile electric vehicle charging and … add locations as needed.”
AAA went on to say “range anxiety has been the number one barrier between consumers and wider EV adoption,” and they believe these trucks can “ease this anxiety.” That remains to be seen, but an increasing number of EVs are coming equipped with a vehicle-to-vehicle charging capability and this enables them to help out stranded motorists.
