Nissan and JAF to test roadside service vehicle with EV charger
06 June 2011
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) announced a joint trial operation of a roadside service vehicle equipped with a charger to assist electric vehicles (EVs) which run out of battery power. The trial service commences on 7 June.
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| Roadside assistance for EVs. Click to enlarge. |
Nissan developed a prototype roadside service vehicle equipped with a charging system; JAF will deploy the roadside service vehicle with the charger from its Kanagawa branch office and will use it on a trial basis as part of their service menu from fiscal year 2011.
In December 2010, JAF conducted roadside assistance training for EVs using a Nissan LEAF, including towing, at the Nissan Education Center for its staff from throughout Japan. JAF also initiated related practical roadside service training across Japan using other EVs in cooperation with other automakers.
As EVs gain wider consumer acceptance, it is important to create a roadside assistance system that can help motorists driving EVs which have run out of battery power, as well as to build a charging infrastructure. Nissan is leveraging the development and trial operation of this roadside service vehicle with charging equipment – and the accompanying staff training – to strengthen cooperation with JAF and to benefit customers.
—Hitoshi Kawaguchi, Nissan’s senior vice president of External and Governmental Affairs
This sort of states the obvious, no matter how many slick displays with range circles the LEAF has, people still worry about range. It is not like getting low on fuel and you drive into a fueling station for a few minutes and people know this.
No amount of public chargers will change this, if it takes 30 minutes of charging for me to drive 30 miles, I am less likely to purchase an EV. If I have to visit one of those charging stations every day for 30 minutes rather than a fueling station once a week for 10 minutes, that makes a BIG difference.
Posted by: SJC | 06 June 2011 at 09:57 AM
...unless gas goes to $5/gallon+. Or, there's a supply interruption and you can't get gas, or you have to wait an hour in line to get only 5 gallons (limit).
Then, waiting 1/2 hour to go 30 miles will look good.
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But until then, SJC is correct.
Posted by: danm | 07 June 2011 at 08:18 AM