U.S. motorists have it in the back of their minds that if they run out of gas on the road in an isolated area they can always call on the American Automobile Association to come and help them out. But what if you drive an electric vehicle (EV) and you run out of juice? Up until now, even AAA would be at a loss and the best you could hope for is to have your car towed to the nearest compliant power outlet.
But the luck of stranded environmentally conscious EV drivers is about to change thanks to an initiative AAA is taking to equip their emergency response vehicles with charging units. The plan will be announced in full detail this July at the Plug-in 2011 conference and is expected to take effect within the next few months. The service was tested last month in a joint effort by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and Nissan, the makers of the LEAF electric car.
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The first phase of the deployment will only include six test regions in the United Statest, but given the strong interest expressed by many AAA chapters across the country, it is likely that very soon the chargers will be available to the majority of EV motorists.
The dependability of EV vehicles has been one of the major concerns of hesitant consumers. If AAA’s plan is realized effectively, the resulting boost in EV drivers’ confidence may help to push the electric car to the forefront as a reliable and effective transportation choice.
Credit: AAA
Tags: Auto, Cars, Electric Cars, Electric Vehicles, Fuel Cells
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