I was out the back of Coromandel.
Twisting gravel roads and potholes the size of a hot tub.
I’d only just had my 6-year-old EV serviced… but I felt a nagging uncertainty.
At 7am one morning, I marched out to my car – parked up outside my remote accommodation – nonchalantly pressing my keyfob.
Nothing happened.
The car was completely dead
With anxiety spiking, I paced around in a panic.
First thought: I’m gonna be stuck here. Second thought: there could be worse places to be stranded…
I had a hunch the 12-volt battery was finished, and I was a long way from any substantial town.
Incredibly, earlier in the year I’d finally signed up to the AA (this is not an ad, just an honest story).
After a phone call (thank goodness I still had cell coverage) – I made sure to impress on the operator that a new 12v battery was required.
Long story short: 1.5 hours later I had a new 12-volt battery in the car, and all was well.
According to UK figures, the cause of roadside callouts on EVs is not running out of charge on the main battery (only 1.4% of EV callouts).
Callouts are for the same things as combustion cars: tyres, wheels, and a flat 12v battery.
As the NZ EV fleet grows (and matures), we’re going to see more of this.
Key points:
- EVs have 12-volt batteries just like combustion cars.
- It’s hard to know when they are on the way out: you don’t get the noises you hear in a combustion car (like a slow cranking engine).
- It seems not all dealer servicing includes checking the 12-volt 😔
- EVs charge the 12-volt from the main big battery. But different EVs do it differently.
- You can jumpstart the 12-volt in an EV (from another vehicle).
- How long does the 12-volt last in an EV? Everything you read will tell you something different. All I can say is I’ve had the 12v fail in two different EVs now. Both were six years old. Both times I was away from home 😬
If you have an EV that’s over 3 years old – consider how you can keep an eye on the 12-volt battery.
