RAC becomes first major breakdown company to launch all-electric patrol van

Image: RAC
Image: RAC

The RAC is the first major roadside assistance company in the UK to begin using an electric patrol vehicle to attend breakdowns.

With no electric van yet capable of towing broken-down vehicles, the RAC is piloting a zero-emission Renault Zoe Van E-Tech which is one of the few EVs on the market capable of carrying the necessary tools and parts needed to fix four out of five breakdowns on the spot, without its 245-mile range being compromised.

Unlike delivery companies which can carefully plan their routes, the RAC deals with around 7,000 random events every day meaning a 200-plus mile range was a critical requirement. The Renault Zoe patrol van will principally be used to attend the RAC’s two most common breakdowns – batteries and tyres – which together account for nearly half of all call-outs. As such the van carries up to six replacement 12v car batteries, two tyres, a trolley jack, a battery tester, the RACScan diagnostic tool and a host of standard patrol tools.

The RAC’s first 55kW Renault Zoe patrol van will be deployed in a variety of settings, both urban and rural, to assess its efficiency as a patrol vehicle.

RAC group operations director Paul Coulton said:

“We are very excited to be putting our first electric zero-emission patrol van into service. We have been assessing various electric vans for some time but have been frustrated by the fact there isn’t one on the market that can do what our diesel-powered patrol vans can do at the moment in terms of carrying 500 parts and tools and towing broken-down vehicles, with a range that’s even half what one of our standard vans can do on a full tank.

“While we continue to talk to manufacturers about our requirements, we’re confident we can put an electric RAC patrol van into effective use on the road by carefully deploying it to jobs that won’t require towing. We’re already leading the breakdown industry in terms of EV breakdown with our award-winning RAC EV Boost technology which can get flat or severely depleted electric cars going again without the need for heavy and bulky portable batteries, and our All-Wheels-Up rapid recovery system, which enables a standard patrol van to safely tow a stricken EV with all four wheels off the road, so this was a logical next step.

“This first RAC all-electric patrol van may be small, but it’s easily capable of successfully attending nearly half of the breakdowns we get called out to on a daily basis. We’re confident it will prove the old saying that good things really do come in small packages.”

The Renault Zoe Van E-Tech won the ‘Best Car-based Conversion’ category in the What Car? Van Awards 2022.

Press office team

Press office team

For journalist enquiries only

Share

Latest News

Website preview
Four-in-10 say they have no alternative but to drive to work
A car-dependent nation: 81% would struggle to adjust to life without their vehicle
media.rac.co.uk
Website preview
M25 to shut during England game: RAC advice for drivers
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “This weekend’s M25 closures could present a ‘red card’ for drivers heading home from Wembley Stadium on Friday night. With junctions 10 to 11 shutting at 9pm, just before the sold-out England game finishes, heavy congestion is almost inevitable for those traveling back to Sussex and Surrey. We encourage football fans to seek alternative routes where possible or use public transport to minimise queuing in traffic.
media.rac.co.uk
Website preview
Unexpected car repairs cost drivers more than £600 a year
RAC Mobile Mechanics increasingly doing ‘garage-type’ repairs on the drive
media.rac.co.uk

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About RAC Media Centre

The RAC, an iconic UK brand, provides complete peace of mind to nearly 14 million UK private and business drivers, whatever their motoring needs. As well as its premium nationwide breakdown assistance service – with an expert branded patrol workforce attending more than two million breakdowns every year – and European breakdown assistance products, it offers a wide range of market-leading products across insurance, legal services, vehicle inspections and service, maintenance and repair. Included in this is the first-of-its-kind nationwide Mobile Mechanics service which brings the garage to homes and workplaces. 

At the forefront of new solutions for business fleets and consumers, the RAC’s breakdown service is electric-ready with mobile EV charging technology and be called on using myRAC – its all-in-one route planner, fuel finder and breakdown reporting app