After recently purchasing a new Smart EQ forfour, this RAC customer was yet to have a home EV charger installed. Having had the vehicle for a few weeks, the charge on the car was running very low. Assuming he would be able to reach the static charging station at the local supermarket, the driver unfortunately ran out of charge before he was able to reach the charge point and had no choice but to pull over and call the RAC for assistance.
The RAC Patrol arrived and was able to deliver a roadside power boost from the Charge Pod system installed on their standard patrol vehicle, providing the flat EV with a 5-mile range, enabling the EV driver to reach the supermarket charging station quickly and safely.
Charge Pod is an exceptionally practical solution for fleet operators like the RAC because the RAC needed a solution which could be incorporated onto the exisiting patrol vehicles which are already in service. However, these vehicles are extremely restricted on space. We therefore designed the Charge Pod system so it is as lightweight and compact as possible, enabling the same level of equipment to be carried in the RAC vehicles.
Charge Pod is not only the most practical solution to this problem, but it also the safest solution given concerns over the transmission of COVID-19. An alternative solution to Charge Pod is to deploy a flatbed recovery truck which means both the flat EV, and its driver would need to be transported to a charging station. Charge Pod enables the patrol to simply plug in and charge the EV, meaning a safe distance can be maintained at all times.
To find out more about our pioneering Charge Pod system click here.
To find out more about the use of Charge Pod in the RAC’s fleet, you can read more on the following link: RAC exclusive deal will see hundreds more mobile EV charging vans on the road | RAC Drive