Photo: Ford, Brad
AAA is expanding its capabilities and membership benefits by providing more services for electric vehicle drivers. AAA is offering more roadside solutions for EV drivers and investing in research to better understand electric vehicle functionality and consumer perceptions.
Portland and Bend are two markets where AAA provides mobile charging for EVs on the roadside. AAA Oregon/Idaho first launched this service as part of AAA’s first pilot program back in 2011 when Portland was one of only six cities across the country where mobile EV charging was offered.
The AAA service trucks with mobile electric vehicle charging capability provide a Level 2 charge and can typically provide about 10 to 14 miles of range in about 30 minutes so that EV drivers can get home or to a charging station.
As the popularity of electric vehicles continues to grow, as indicated by a recent AAA study, AAA is prepared to service any vehicle type, whether electric or gas.
“AAA members know that we are more than just roadside assistance. AAA is also committed to doing research and educating our members and the general public about transportation options such as electric vehicles. As automakers continue to expand their EV offerings, we will continue to provide honest and unbiased information about EV performance and provide service for all the types of vehicles that our members are driving,” says Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho.
The AAA mobile EV charging program is offered in these 14 cities:
- Avon, MA
- Bend, OR
- Charlotte, NC
- Denver, CO
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Indianapolis, IN
- Nashville, TN
- Orlando, FL
- Peabody, MA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, OR
- Providence, RI
- San Francisco, CA
- West Springfield, MA
“AAA was the first motor club in North America to offer a roadside assistance truck with the capability to charge electric vehicles. We’ve been a leader in helping drivers for more than a century and expanding our EV service continues that tradition,” adds Dodds. “Range anxiety has been a top barrier between consumers and wider EV adoption. AAA can help ease this anxiety with specialized trucks equipped with mobile electric vehicle chargers that provide enough range to get drivers home or to the nearest charging station.”
AAA’s roadside EV charging provides up to a 30-minute Level 2 charge using the Blink IQ-200-M mobile charging unit with the standard J1772 plug for 10 or more miles of charge to your EV (depending on the type of vehicle). AAA now has the ability to charge the majority of electric vehicles, including electric motorcycles, with this standard plug type. Tesla vehicles can also be charged with the Tesla J1772 adapter.
The mobile electric vehicle charging truck is very similar to AAA’s other light services vehicles. The truck is equipped to allow AAA’s technicians to provide traditional AAA Roadside Assistance capabilities to all motorists, such as battery testing and replacements, jump starts, tire changes and fuel delivery.
The mobile EV charging service is provided at no additional cost to AAA members. AAA will continue to assess the demand for mobile electric vehicle charging and will add additional locations. As part of this evaluation, AAA will also explore various mobile charging methods to deliver the best experience to its members.
The new phase of mobile electric charging solutions is the second pilot of its kind that AAA has brought to the marketplace. Portland was one of the original test cities in the first pilot, launched a decade ago, to explore a few prototype technologies that could be used to charge EVs at the roadside. After 10 years of service, all of the original prototype vehicles were retired. AAA took all the information from that pilot project to develop this latest iteration.
Oregon ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to plug-in vehicles per capita. As of August 2022, Oregon had 56,375 registered electric vehicles. By November 2022, there were 2,055 public chargers in 852 Locations. Find out more at https://goelectric.oregon.gov/
Source: AAA