Christchurch gets AA mobile EV charging breakdown van

Christchurch EV owners can stress less about running out of charge on the road as the AA introduces a mobile EV charging breakdown van there.

The van is fitted with a lightweight EV charger which in 20-25 minutes will enable enough charge to drive up to 10km so AA members can reach their home or a nearby charging station.

“We hope introducing the mobile charging van to Christchurch will give EV owners and would-be buyers’ peace-of-mind that if they run out of charge while out on a drive,” says AA Battery Service general manager Mandy Mellar.

This will be the fourth of the AA’s mobile EV charging vans to hit New Zealand roads, with one already in Wellington and two in Auckland.

A positive response to the existing vans prompted plans to expand even further, Mellar explains.

As of November 2022, New Zealand had more than 50,000 EVs registered – and numbers are consistently on the rise.

“We are pleased to expand our Roadservice offering to cater for our members and their vehicles as EV uptake increases throughout the country,” says Mellar.

“‘Range anxiety’ may be a deterrent for some potential buyers so we also hope the availability of the van may be a swing factor for Christchurch citizens in the market for an EV who were perhaps hesitant on making the switch.”

The van is available to AA members between 7am and 11pm, 365 days of the year at no additional cost.

When not attending EV jobs, the van will also attend battery-related breakdowns of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

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

Outside of Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington, the AA provides members whose EVs break down a tow.

The AA also has 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.