A standard RAC diesel VW Transporter van has been fully equipped with an totally portable fast charging unit which can deliver around 15 miles of range to a stricken electric vehicle in less than half an hour. Equivalent to a “gallon of electricity”, the RAC believes this should be sufficient to get the driver safely on their way home or to the nearest charging point. 

The 5kW unit, which is capable of completely recharging an electric vehicle’s battery in less than four hours, is being deployed in the Birmingham area first as the city has a well-established progressive EV record as a result of its charging infrastructure. 

RAC spokesman Tim Hartles said: ‘As the electric vehicle market develops, the need for a mobile transportable energy source is becoming more important, not only to reduce “range anxiety”, but also to provide temporary cost-effective power for electric cars. Whether it’s at the side of a road in an emergency, or in a car showroom, portable power that is flexible, available and mobile is very much in demand so we wanted to invest in the required technology to make sure the RAC was completely ready to meet this need. 

‘By adding a unit to a fully-equipped RAC van, a stranded electric vehicle will no longer require recovery after running out of energy as we will simply be able to give the vehicle a quick charge to get it going again.

‘If this pilot scheme is successful we will look to add charging systems to more patrol vehicles in busy urban areas just as we have done with our 10 new mobile tyre-fitting vans which have been introduced to cope with the ever-increasing “puncture no spare” issue. 

‘To that end we are in discussions with other progressive local authorities around the UK – including Scotland – to extend the reach of the trial.’