In a bid to address concerns related to electric vehicle (EV) ownership, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in Western Australia has initiated a trial of a roadside assistance program designed specifically for stranded EV drivers.
As part of this initiative, a mobile rescue van equipped with emergency battery top-up capabilities will soon be deployed on the streets of Perth.
The organization’s decision to introduce a dedicated rescue van is seen as a proactive step to support the growing number of EV owners and promote confidence in adopting electric vehicles.
The trial will involve operating a single battery top-up van in metropolitan Western Australia, serving as a practical test to evaluate the effectiveness of the new roadside assistance approach.
The van is equipped with a mobile charger capable of providing 15km of range within 20 minutes, offering a swift solution for drivers who find themselves stranded due to depleted batteries.
The move by RAC comes amid a significant increase in EV sales in Australia, with figures rising from 3.1 per cent of the car market in 2022 to 7.2 per cent in 2023.
The trial aims to allow RAC to gather valuable information and plan for potential future expansions of the electric vehicle roadside assistance fleet.
Western Australia is actively working towards completing Australia’s longest EV charging network. The state’s government aims to provide EV drivers with access to 98 charging stations across 49 locations, spanning from Eucla on the South Australian border to Kununurra in the far north of WA.
The entire EV network is projected to be completed by the middle of the year, with an estimated cost of $43.5 million.
For more renewable and solar news, subscribe to ecogeneration.