AA EV charging breakdown van service to be extended

The AA’s first electric vehicle charging breakdown van has been on the road in Wellington for more than a year – giving EVs a roadside boost two to three times a month on average.

The AA Battery Service van launched in late July 2020 to help curb ‘range anxiety’ is fitted with a lightweight EV charger.

In 20-25 minutes, it enables enough charge to drive up to 10km, so AA members can get home or to a nearby charging station.

The response to the van has been fantastic – prompting plans to expand the service to other areas in the near future, AA Battery Service general manager Mandy Mellar says.

“Wellington AA members who have used the service have been really impressed, and our technician gets lots of questions about the van when he attends battery-related breakdowns of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles,” Mellar says.

“A few weeks ago when there was a wintry blast in the capital he went to three EV break down jobs in a row.

“One was for a member’s car which was showing they still had 5km so they thought they’d make it home but they were using their lights, heater, etc, meaning a higher drain on the battery and it ran out of juice,” Mellar explains.

“He was really grateful that our technician could come to him at the roadside and give enough of a top to get him home.

“Another of the jobs was for a member who knew about the service and specifically asked for the van to come; he was really impressed.”

Mellar’s remaining tight-lipped about details to expand the service for now but says it won’t be long before more EV owners will benefit.

“We launched the service in Wellington as it’s home to the highest number of EVs per capita,” she adds.

“After a successful trial, and with the heightened interest in EVs since the Clean Car Discount came into effect (July 1), we know more Kiwis will be looking forward to having this service available for peace-of-mind.”

The van is available to AA members between 7am and 11pm daily at no additional cost.

Outside of these hours, and outside of Wellington, the AA provides a tow for members whose EVs break down.

The AA Battery Service van remains a Toyota Hiace diesel as no suitable alternative is yet available, the AA says.

“The van has to carry a heavy load of batteries as it also goes to battery-related breakdowns for ICE vehicles, so at the moment there isn’t an electric van available which is able to meet the operational needs of this service,” the AA explains.

“We do charge the EV charger off the 8kW alternator in the van, though.”

The AA also provides AA EV Charge Finder, a platform built in collaboration with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and other industry partners, which collects live information from safe and monitored charge points across the country to help drivers plan their journeys.

For EV charger assistance Wellington AA Members can call 0800 500 222, or request assistance via the AA Roadservice app.