RUNNING out of fuel has long been a favourite reason for calling out the roadside rescue services, but what if the ’fuel’ you need is electricity?
The RAC believes that the charge will be equivalent to a gallon of electricity
Well now the RAC believes it has the answer with the launch of its first mobile electric charging unit.
Carried in one of the breakdown organisation’s familiar bright orange VW Transporter vans, the ‘Evrescue’ portable fast charger can deliver around 15 miles of range to a stricken electric vehicle, taking less than half an hour.
The RAC believes that the charge will be equivalent to a ‘gallon of electricity’ and will be enough to get the driver either to their home or to the nearest fixed charging point.
The first unit is to be put into service around Birmingham, which is seen as a major market for EV use thanks to its established network of charging points.
And it’s a growing market – already more than 9000 EVs are on UK roads and first quarter sales in 2014 are up 265 per cent compared to the same period a year ago.
New models such as BMW’s i3, bringing EV use firmly into the premium market, are expected to further boost these sales and the Government-backed Committee on Climate Change wants to see EV use stretch past 1.7 million vehicles.
