What do you do if you run out of juice?

[Tozla]

Ok I'm pretty new to the world of EVs so this might sound like a stupid question so please forgive a novice.

What do you do if you find yourself in the position where you've run out of juice and are no where near an outlet or charger? Sure you can get a tow but are there options like filling a can with gas?

 

[daniel]

Ok I'm pretty new to the world of EVs so this might sound like a stupid question so please forgive a novice.

What do you do if you find yourself in the position where you've run out of juice and are no where near an outlet or charger? Sure you can get a tow but are there options like filling a can with gas?

Nope. That's why you plan your trips. With the range of a Tesla, most trips will not be an issue. But for trips close to your full range, you plan where you are going to plug in. If you run out, you get a tow to a charger.

 

[Tozla]

Nope. That's why you plan your trips. With the range of a Tesla, most trips will not be an issue. But for trips close to your full range, you plan where you are going to plug in. If you run out, you get a tow to a charger.

Of course I'd plan. Was purely a hypothetical.

 

[vandacca]

We need someone to come up with a Mobile PowerWall-2 (MPW) service. Basically, a bank of MPWs that can be easily inserted into and out of a vehicle, which drives around and gives people just enough power to reach the next charging location.

Maybe once Tesla starts manufacturing their transport trucks, it'll be an easy implementation.

 

[SDRick]

Jumper cables. lol

Although hypothetically could another Tesla or EV be designed to "jump" an empty EV?
.

 

[ZBB]

A) Plan ahead so you don't run out of juice. EVtripplanner.com is a great site for this. For my early road trips in the Tesla (when Supercharger density was much much less than today and the car didn't have the rout-based range estimate built in…), I would ID RV parks along my route that I could use in a pinch, and would go into EV Trip Planner to see what the rated miles estimate is to the next planned charger -- and I would decide if I could make it as I passed those check points (and we never needed to stop -- but it does take a road trip or

B) If you are concerned about range -- slow down. Driving over the limit will give you less range. Slowing down to 5-10 under the limit can do wonders for range. We had a road trip almost a year ago where we needed to go 190 actual miles, with a prediction of 205 rated needed if driving the speed of traffic (I have an original S60, so my max range has degraded a bit and is ~192 rated). We drove 10 under the limit for the first 1/3 of the trip, then drove the limit the rest of the way -- and we made it with 10 rated to spare.

B) If you get low, find a charger, RV Park, or even a 120V outlet (and keep your UMC and adapters in the car on road trips).

C) Call Roadside assistance for a tow

D) Some AAA members now have charging trucks (I know at least in Seattle…). They can send the truck that has a generator and a J1772 port and can help you charge for 30-45 min (hopefully not longer) to get enough charge to get to an actual charger

 

[G77P]

1) Slow down if you don't think you can make it to the next charging station.
2) Find a gas station and see if they have a standard 110V 12 amp Nema 5-15 outlet outside you can use - most will. The problem is that would be a very slow charge rate, but it would get you started while you figure something else out.
3) I highly recommend "PlugShare" app for your phone - many people listed on there are willing to help if you call them (make sure you have the filter on for "home" chargers).
4) See if a local park or campground has a 50 amp outlet - use google and start calling. Nema 14-50 is also a common welding connection, so calling bodyshop or machine ship might work.
5) Last resort try to find someone who will let you use their dryer outlet for a few hours if it is close enough to reach the driveway.

At a minimum we carry a longer standard 110V extension cord (25 feet), I've heard that some people also buy and carry another 25 or 30 feet of Nema 14-50 240 volt cord just in case (~$120 on Amazon).

 

[rcarpen22]

I pulled up to a supercharger the other day as a P85D was being offloaded from a flatbed. The tow truck driver said the Tesla ran out of charge. So tow trucks are an option.

 

[NikeWings]

"EV drivers aren't how low can you go thrill jockeys".
Placebo on Wheels: AAA Charging Trucks Seek to Remedy EV Range Anxiety, Prove Mostly Unneeded

 

[jerry33]

Ok I'm pretty new to the world of EVs so this might sound like a stupid question so please forgive a novice.

What do you do if you find yourself in the position where you've run out of juice and are no where near an outlet or charger? Sure you can get a tow but are there options like filling a can with gas?

It's really not an issue. First, any Tesla has enough energy for normal daily driving, so the only time you even think about it is on trips. Assuming a Supercharger route, they are typically 100-150 miles apart, so you charge enough to get to the next one plus a little extra (more in very cold weather). If you're going where there are no Superchargers, there are destination charging locations (for over nights mostly--you use these even if going on a Supercharger route), public EVSEs, RV parks (50 amp), etc. where you can charge. There is also the PlugShare website which shows people who will let you use their home charging equipment as well as other charging locations. I've gone on many trips over the past four years, and there was never an issue about running out. You can charge pretty much anywhere with an electrical outlet. The difference in the different types of outlets is speed.

 

[Drone Flyer]

I would suggest keeping an extra carton of Orange Juice in the frunk, just in case!
LOL!

 

[Johann Koeber]

I have heard you can tow the Tesla and put it in D to use recuperation, thus charging the battery somewhat. Have not tried it.


Be careful!

 

[TexasEV]

Ok I'm pretty new to the world of EVs so this might sound like a stupid question so please forgive a novice.

What do you do if you find yourself in the position where you've run out of juice and are no where near an outlet or charger? Sure you can get a tow but are there options like filling a can with gas?

Yeah, about as stupid a question as asking a pilot what he does if he finds himself in the position of running out of gas and no where near an airport. You don't put yourself in that position because you plan ahead, and have an alternate plan too.

 

[Tozla]

Yeah, about as stupid a question as asking a pilot what he does if he finds himself in the position of running out of gas and no where near an airport. You don't put yourself in that position because you plan ahead, and have an alternate plan too.

I thought there were no stupid questions just stupid people. I guess I hit the jackpot. It was a purely hypothetical question. In my mind I was trying to picture what an EV owner would do instead of walking down the highway with a jerrycan.

 

[aesculus]

"EV drivers aren't how low can you go thrill jockeys".
Placebo on Wheels: AAA Charging Trucks Seek to Remedy EV Range Anxiety, Prove Mostly Unneeded

Odd that your article was dated 2016 and the one here is 2011 (same guy and picture)
AAA Unveils North America's First Roadside Assistance Truck Capable of Charging Electric Vehicles | AAA NewsRoom

which was embedded in your posted article

But I called AAA roadside assistance in Nor Cal last fall and they had no clue of this service. So after 6 years, it still seems to be nada.

 

[daniel]

Posted in wrong thread. Sorry.

 

[Rocky_H]

What do you do if you find yourself in the position where you've run out of juice and are no where near an outlet or charger?

I won't entertain the premise of the question. You can't just "find yourself" in that situation, because teleporting does not exist. You were doing some driving for the hour leading up to that. What were you doing? How were you driving? There is plenty of information in the car about range left and efficiency, so were you paying attention to any of that? Every building has electricity, too, so not being near an outlet is pretty near impossible in a populated continent.

Check here for resources that can help you figure out what is available:
www.supercharge.info
www.evtripplanner.com
www.plugshare.com
www.allstays.com or www.rvparky.com (to find RV parks that have outlets)

 

[Pwdr Extreme]

Yeah, about as stupid a question as asking a pilot what he does if he finds himself in the position of running out of gas and no where near an airport. You don't put yourself in that position because you plan ahead, and have an alternate plan too.

You'd think it would be even more "stupid" that someone driving an ICE would run out of fuel given the plethora of gas stations to choose from, yet it DOES happen on a daily basis. So saying it's a "stupid question" really isn't fair at all. And your comparison to an airline pilot really isn't a valid one. They have been extensively trained to plan ahead because the alternative is most likely death. I don't recall hours and hours of training on how to plan for a trip and how to refuel my car when I attended driver's ed...

The OP is clearly new to the EV world and has posted a valid question. In regards to that, if you haven't driven to the point where the car actually "shuts off" to protect itself, you absolutely could hook up a tow rope and pull the car while modulating the amount of regenerative braking to charge the batteries. This would have the exact same effect as descending a steep hill and won't hurt the vehicle.

Another option I would like to see Tesla implement would be a Tesla to Tesla jumper cable system. There's no reason why it wouldn't work and could easily be monitored and regulated by the car's on-board systems. I honestly think Tesla hasn't even considered it.

 

[gavine]

I always laugh when people ask me that question about running-out. Running out is VERY hard to do. You almost have to do it on purpose, but the panic in the voices of people as if it would be the end of the world (I'm not saying the OP is one of them). We all carry cell phones these days so you call a tow truck and you get towed to a nearby outlet or charger. There is probably one within a few miles (PlugShare). How much could the tow cost? About the same as a couple of tanks of gas? Not the end of the world.

 

[Chopr147]

I thought there were no stupid questions just stupid people. I guess I hit the jackpot. It was a purely hypothetical question. In my mind I was trying to picture what an EV owner would do instead of walking down the highway with a jerrycan.

You made that clear, someone always needs to show they are smarter than you. Don't sweat it.
Like the charger box for a battery jump I can see in the future someone coming up with a power jump box. Maybe gives a charge enough for 20 miles or so. Some smart entrepreneur in a few years will figure it out , sell 'em like hot cakes then sell the company for a billion