AAA preps plans to recharge stranded electrics

As electric cars become more numerous, AAA will be ready with fast recharge units for any vehicles whose batteries run down, according to a AAA executive.

That may be reassuring to shoppers who are interested in electrics but worry about being stranded because their vehicles don't have enough range.

John Nielsen, director of auto repair for AAA, told the International Motor Press Association in New York last week that his organization has six pilot projects on the West Coast and in the Southeast to test various new technologies to recharge a stranded electric car within 10 minutes so it can drive another 10 or 12 miles for additional service. Hydraulic generators and generators powered by natural gas can be installed in pickups or vans similar to the AAA vehicles that now make 30 million roadside service calls nationwide every year.

AAA technicians already have been trained in how to disconnect batteries safely after an accident involving an electric or gas-electric hybrid car, Nielsen said. New worries about this issue have surfaced as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Chevrolet Volt batteries that caught fire after being damaged in the agency's crash tests.

Nielsen said it is too early to tell if such fires pose additional problem for roadside service technicians, but he praised General Motors for moving quickly in an attempt to find a solution for the problem. GM is looking at a redesign of the Volt battery pack to address the issue of the fires.

Once AAA has determined the best recharge technology, it will deploy units to cities with the largest number of electric cars, Nielsen said. The current pilot projects are in Washington; Oregon; Northern and Southern California; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Tampa, Fla.