The AA has formed a partnership with Chargemaster, the UK’s largest provider of EV charging infrastructure, to help AA members who already own, or who are considering an electric vehicle.

Currently 41% of AA members own diesel cars but when asked if their next car will be diesel this drops 60% to just 16%. Overall a third of AA members aim to switch from diesel and petrol for their next car purchase, according to an AA-Populus survey of 19,308 drivers.

AA patrols have undergone training in how to deal with any breakdowns involving electric or hybrid vehicles using a specialised rig at the patrols’ training centre. The AA will use the Polar network, the UK’s largest public EV charging network, which is operated by Chargemaster and provides access to over 5,000 charging points nationwide, to provide an emergency back-up charging solution for its patrols in the event that an EV driver runs out of charge.

AA patrols will carry Polar RFID fobs and if an AA member is stranded with an empty battery, they will be recovered to the nearest Polar network charging point and provided with a complementary charge to get them back on the road.

AA president Edmund King said: “We have always been at the forefront of motoring innovation and as our member surveys show, the number of plug-in vehicles on the roads is going to increase quickly.

“So we want to ensure that all of our members are supported on the road, no matter what vehicle they drive. Our partnership with Chargemaster will offer AA members fantastic benefits in the future and now gives them peace of mind in the event of an emergency.”

David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, said: “In many ways we have passed the tipping point for electric vehicle adoption in the UK, and the pace of change over the coming years will be quite dramatic.

“We recognise that charging infrastructure, whether at home, at work, or in public, is critical to increasing the uptake of EVs and supporting drivers to make the switch. Although many people are concerned about the number of charging points, the reality is that including dedicated units fitted at home, there are as many charging points in the UK as there are electric cars.”

“The benefits now available to 15 million AA members means that many more drivers will have the confidence to join the thousands of people moving to electric motoring every month.”

Topics