You might be wondering whether roadside assistance applies to electric cars, and the answer is yes, it definitely does. But you still can, and should, get EV roadside assistance and expect the service to be of great value. You just have to update your knowledge base a little.
As more drivers make the switch to electric, roadside assistance providers are expanding their services to include EV-specific support — from mobile charging to towing options designed for electric vehicles. Having the right coverage ensures you’re never left without help when you need it most, no matter what kind of car you drive.
With Southern Harvest’s auto insurance, you can add roadside assistance that gives you peace of mind on every trip — whether you’re driving electric or gas-powered.
Understanding EV Roadside Assistance
A good starting point is a basic definition of “roadside assistance.” That’s a service by which a 24/7 operator is on call when you need emergency services, whether you’re stalled in your driveway, a strange parking lot, or on the shoulder of a lonely road.
Your operator would traditionally send you an auto technician whenever needed. They’d come with a can of gas, a battery charger, locksmith services, or a tow truck. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, you get it at no extra cost beyond your coverage premiums and deductible.
Roadside help for electric cars works exactly the same way — except when it’s totally different.
Confused? Read on.
Unique Challenges Faced by EV Owners
You’ll find your first electric vehicle out of the dealership to be a different beast. You obviously won’t run out of gas (unless it is a hybrid), but your car might die with a battery in need of recharge. That can happen if it gets low and you can’t find a charging point in time.
You might be stranded for other reasons and need a tow. But if that happens, you’ll need a different kind of tow truck than you might be used to. Or maybe you won’t need a tow at all. A growing number of repairs for EVs can be made right on the spot.
How EV Needs Differ from Gas Cars
In most ways, there is no difference. In either case, you might call a roadside assistance dispatcher with a flat tire, a car that won’t run for unexpected reasons, or one that’s in need of a battery charge. And that’s where the difference comes in.
Recharging an EV is a different and more involved process, involving different tools than merely battery cables. That’s why it’s important to make sure your dispatcher knows you’re driving an EV. You’ll be sent a service vehicle with specialized equipment that can be used to recharge your battery.
Key Features of Effective Roadside Assistance
If you’ve ever had roadside assistance for a gas-powered vehicle, you won’t find it to be much different for your EV. You’ll call for assistance anytime your car is disabled, regardless of your location or the time of day or night. A technician will be sent to your rescue.
However, there are some differences in the services provided, or the way they’re provided, when you have an EV. Consider the following.
Mobile Charging Solutions for Stranded Electric Vehicles
You won’t ever again have a dry gas tank in the middle of the highway or on a lonely country road. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that your electric battery might die if you drive too long without finding a charging station.
Fortunately, your roadside assistance technician can bring the charging station to you. What that means is that a growing number of today’s tow trucks and roadside assistance vehicles have portable charging units so they can recharge your battery right on the side of the road. It’s the EV equivalent of arriving with a 5-gallon container of gasoline.
Remote Diagnostics and Digital Fixes
Your EV isn’t exactly a computer. But it comes close. That’s an advantage to you because diagnostics and repair services can sometimes be completed on the side of even the busiest Peach State interstate highway. That can’t often be said for a conventional vehicle.
A trained and skilled EV technician can deliver software updates, patch bugs, and reset glitches in the digital system, and even repair batteries or other physical parts right on the spot.
Your called-in tech can also make even complex diagnoses right then and there, so that even if it can’t be immediately fixed, your vehicle will be towed to one that knows ahead of time what to expect and how to fix it.
Towing Considerations for Electric Vehicles
Once again, your experience will be unique. For one thing, your battery could be some 40 times heavier than a traditional car battery. If you forget that little fact, your tow truck operator will remind you of it quickly.
Your EV drivetrain operates in an unfamiliar way as well. If your EV is picked up with a conventional tow truck that hooks up and drags your car on two tires, it could cause major damage to your battery.
As a result, your EV towing services mechanic must only show up with a flatbed truck. Just make sure that your roadside assistance dispatcher is alerted in advance that you have an EV so the proper tow vehicle gets sent.
Future Trends in EV Roadside Support
Electric vehicle technology is still in its infancy. Many advancements are being made to make roadside assistance even easier. Consider the following.
Advancements in Mobile Charging Technology
One challenge many EV owners face today is the relatively low number of emergency assistance services that carry portable charging units. But as more electric vehicles hit the roads, more service providers will have the equipment, and it will eventually be as common a tool of the trade as a lug wrench.
Level 1 portable chargers might take an hour to charge a vehicle to get 5 or 6 miles down the road. If the nearest recharging station is farther than that, you’ll be stranded with your technician even longer waiting for a charge. But fast-charge units are becoming more popular and will be made more available over time for a much more responsive roadside charge.
Integration of AI in Emerging Services
We hear more and more about the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. Now, automotive service garages are using AI to diagnose and help fix stranded vehicles. These on-site diagnostics might let you and your technician find out sooner why your car is stranded and start the repairs faster.
Expanding Coverage Areas
As of late 2024, only 7 percent of U.S. drivers have electric vehicles. What that means is that roadside technicians are still more used to gasoline-powered vehicles. But that will change as the percentage of EVs becomes higher.
That will mean that there will be more charging stations on the landscape, so fewer vehicles will be stranded with a dead battery. But even if you do run out of juice before you can find a station, it will become ever more likely that your rescue vehicle will contain a portable recharging unit, even if you don’t ask for one.