Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

AAA Electric Vehicle Charger Trucks

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
5kW is only 15-20 miles and the inverter/charger is likely to be much more expensive.
From the cost point of view, you could reasonably carry a lot more battery.
I'm excited to see a portable level 3 charging solution.
That may be a pipe dream on their part and they may just deploy is a low current level 2 solution - you could build one of those with off the shelf parts right now.

What would be so much better would be a way for one EV to share some juice with another EV.
It would be great to rescue your fellow EV driver by charging up his depleted battery with your full one.
 
What would be so much better would be a way for one EV to share some juice with another EV.
It would be great to rescue your fellow EV driver by charging up his depleted battery with your full one.

This would be similar to providing a boost to a lead acid battery. One EV providing a charge to another EV might require reconfigured cables and perhaps some software.
 
Another article on this. From Cnet: AAA mobile chargers tackle EV range anxiety by Martin LaMonica

The motor club unveiled its AAA Roadside Assistance service for EVs at the Plug-In 2011 electric vehicle conference, saying that six metropolitan areas will each pilot-test a truck starting this summer. The intent is to give drivers a limited amount of drive time to get them out of a jam and to a charging station, according to AAA.

Read more: AAA mobile chargers tackle EV range anxiety | Green Tech - CNET News

Here's the original press release from AAA dtd 7/18/2011: AAA Unveils North America's First Roadside Assistance Truck Capable of Charging Electric Vehicles

During a news conference at the Plug-In 2011 Conference & Exposition, AAA announced it initially will deploy the trucks with mobile electric vehicle charging capability in six metropolitan areas across the U.S. as a pilot program, including Portland (Ore.), Seattle, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Knoxville (Tenn.) and the Tampa Bay area. The phased rollout will begin later this summer and continue into the fall.

That must be some expensive truck if it can provide 440v Level 3 charging! It just seems to me that it would be far more economical to just use the tow trucks that are already in existence and tow the dead car to the nearest charging station or the owner's home.
 
Have been talking on several occasions to a buddy of mine (Bob Darbelnet) who just happens to be President of AAA (how's that for name-dropping!). He is a forward looking guy and AAA is also now installing charging stations at a number of their offices. Here's a local press release for Tampa:

AAA TO INSTALL FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS IN TAMPA BAY AREA
41% of Florida Residents Would Seriously Consider Purchasing an Electric Vehicle if Charging Stations were More Accessible Away from Home, showed AAA’s Consumer Pulse™ Survey
TAMPA, Fla. (June 15, 2011) — Tampa is one of six new cities selected to receive 100 electric vehicle (EV) ChargePoint® Network charging stations to support the growing infrastructure of electric vehicles. The emerging EV infrastructure in Tampa Bay may help relieve potential “range anxiety” and instill confidence in those who consider purchasing an electric vehicle. Later this month, AAA will install the Tampa Bay area's first three EV charging stations at the Tampa Westshore office and Palm Harbor locations.
One of the biggest concerns more than half of Florida residents (51%) have when it comes to purchasing an electric vehicle is the ability to charge the vehicle away from home, showed AAA’s Consumer Pulse™ survey. AAA is the first Tampa Bay location to offer EV charging services as part of the ChargePoint® Network, providing drivers of electric vehicles with 24-hour accessibility.
On June 30, AAA will unveil the new EV charging stations in Tampa Bay and will have EV specialists on-site to conduct media inquiries from 6 a.m. to noon and provide demonstrations on how to use the EV chargers.
“AAA understands the future of electric vehicles and is proud to be a leader in support of the new EV infrastructure,” said Pete Candela, director, AAA Automotive Repair. “Just as AAA pioneered the Mobile Battery Delivery and Installation service for members, we want to be equally prepared to handle the needs of motorists who drive electric vehicles.”
AAA will house Level II charging stations with 240 volts that will allow consumers to “top off” their vehicle’s charge in 30 to 60 minutes. AAA’s Tampa Westshore office can charge up to four vehicles, while the Palm Harbor location can accommodate up to two vehicles at once. Upon the introduction of the charging stations, EV drivers will be able to charge their vehicles for free.
“As more EV charging stations emerge, more motorists will consider purchasing an electric vehicle that’s already on the market,” said Anthony Iannaccone, director of EV installation, AAI Electrify!. “ChargePoint is proud to be in the forefront with AAA Auto Club South in leading the way toward a cleaner, more efficient future in transportation.”
Advantages of Electric Vehicle Motors
• Energy Efficient: Electric motors convert 75% of chemical energy from batteries to power the wheels
• Environmentally Friendly: EVs emit no tailpipe pollutants
• Performance Benefits: Electric motors provide quiet, smooth operation with stronger acceleration, requiring less maintenance
• Reduce Energy Dependence: The electricity used is a domestic energy source
AAA Auto Club South is the fourth largest affiliate of AAA and serves more than 4.1 million members in Florida, Georgia, Middle/West Tennessee, and Puerto Rico. Since its founding in 1938, AAA Auto Club South has worked to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve travel safety.
The AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey was conducted online among residents living in AAA Auto Club South territory from May 2 – 5, 2011. A total of 317 Florida residents completed the survey with 315 not owning an electric vehicle. The survey has a maximum margin of error of +/- 5.5 percentage points. Overall survey responses were weighted by age and income to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the adult population (18+) in Florida.

AAA Auto Club South, 1515 N West Shore Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607-4505 United States

AAA may also install a charging station in Sarasota at their office on the south side of the city. Downtown is already served with free charge points in the municipal multi-story car park.
 
I think installing charging stations at all the AAA offices is a great idea! I just don't think the charging trucks are economical.

I understand that the idea is to add chargers to the existing trucks. Besides, AAA is a members organization and therefore non-profit and they build a great deal of their offering around other services so it makes sense to keep their membership high. With the growth of EV's they need to be able to provide service to EV drivers and keep them (win them) as members.
 
Here's the original press release from AAA dtd 7/18/2011: AAA Unveils North America's First Roadside Assistance Truck Capable of Charging Electric Vehicles

That must be some expensive truck if it can provide 440v Level 3 charging! It just seems to me that it would be far more economical to just use the tow trucks that are already in existence and tow the dead car to the nearest charging station or the owner's home.

I find they're reluctant to tow if they don't have to. I wonder what the technical specs are of the EVSE on the trucks.
From the press release:
AAA will provide 10 to 15 minutes of charge time to members with discharged electric vehicles, which will allow the vehicle to drive three to 15 miles to a charging station where they can further charge their vehicle.
 
I find they're reluctant to tow if they don't have to.

Of course. Why would they tow if they don't have to? But if the car can't run, then towing is the only option. Unless there's a $100,000 charging truck somewhere within X number of miles that's used two or three times a year.

Other than being a AAA member for about 30 years, I don't have a lot of knowledge about the back end of things. I've always been on the outskirts, towed or supported by third party vendors and never by a AAA branded truck. So I don't know how they handle things in the core city.
 
Of course. Why would they tow if they don't have to? But if the car can't run, then towing is the only option. Unless there's a $100,000 charging truck somewhere within X number of miles that's used two or three times a year.

In my case I wanted a tow because I thought there was something else wrong with the car since it had a history of not starting.

Can't make a good guess at AAA's cost till we really know what they're offering. That lowest level, three miles of range in 15 minutes, sounds about what you'd expect to get from the Leaf's 3.3kW charger. Where as 15 miles of range in 10 minutes would likely require better than 20kW (meaning DC).

Any any rate, a charge when available (and a tow when not) sounds reasonable for a service you hope not to need. It's probably worth it to AAA just for the PR.
 
Plug-In 2011: AAA's got a "range anxiety solution" in electric vehicle assistance trucks Autoblog Green
The trucks have a 4.5 kWh lithium-ion battery on board that can give a stranded electric car anywhere between 15 and three miles of power. This range is dependent on the type of charger the car has and because AAA doesn't like to sit for more than 15 minutes on the side of the road. If they can't solve the problem in that time, it's usually preferred to tow the car in (this is standard AAA practice). So, if the EV can take a DC fast charge using CHAdeMo, it can get around 15 miles of juice in a 15-minute charge. With a more common Level 2 J1772 charger, a car can get either six miles (using a 6.6 kW charger) or three miles (3.3 kW) in those same 15 minutes. The truck itself can recharge its pack from the grid or its gasoline-powered engine
plug-in-2011-aaa-3.jpg

plug-in-2011-aaa-4.jpg


Feeling Flat? The AAA Will Soon Be Able To Charge You Up
aaas-mobile-electric-vehicle-charging-truck-image-aaa_100356569_l.jpg
 
I wish at least one of the reports would give us some actual numbers on the charge rate and adapters supported. I couldn't find any useful data on AAA's site either, even the Washington state flavor. :(