What to do if your EV runs out of charge on the road?

When driving an Electric Vehicle, it is always advised that the driver keeps an eye on the battery state-of-charge. If & when the charge percentage goes down, the EV alerts the driver to proceed to the nearest charging station (while giving a relatively dependable assessment of the remaining range). But what if the EV runs out of charge while you’re on your way?

The answer is ‘mobile EV charging’. The word ‘mobile’ being used here refers to the ability to move. A radical idea being invested by startups involves having EV chargers mounted on trucks & vans, that would come to your location to charge your electric vehicle. You can think of this as a travelling power bank for your EVs.

In this blog, EVJoints brings you the companies which offer mobile EV charging services in India.

Hopcharge:

Hopcharge provides on-demand EV charging solutions in Delhi-NCR. The startup has around 25 mobile EV charging vans at present. It is planning to triple its fleet and expand its services to Bengaluru very soon.

The company currently offers 25-30 kW capacity chargers for all types of EVs. It has plans to increase the charging capacity (up to 90 kW) as & when the market demands.

Apart from doorstep EV charging, Hopcharge provides emergency charging services if an EV driver is stranded.

Customers looking for Hopcharge’s services need to download their app, enter their vehicle details, go through the prices & subscription costs, and get their vehicles charged anywhere in Delhi-NCR.

Mobec:

Just like Hopcharge, Mobec also provides EV charging solutions wherever & whenever required. However, the startup has gone a step ahead and apart from mobile EV charging vans, has also introduced mobile EV charging scooters!

This innovative solution to support micro-mobility is called ‘Mobec Smart 5’. The company calls it ‘a rescue charge solution providing EV charging service on two-wheelers.’ The mobile charging service on two-wheelers consists of 5-7 kWh AC power & Type 2 charging gun compatibility, providing on-the-go charging services for EVs stuck in traffic or stranded on highways.

The company started its operations with EV charging vans.

Mobec’s EV charging vans are modular powerbanks. Its stackable design allows the company to increase the total output capacity as per evolving needs. At present, its services are available in & around Noida.

Scan the barcode and download the EVJoints app to find 6,000 EV charging stations across various networks.

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When it comes to their business model, Mobec aims to onboard franchise partners and the franchising plan focuses on expanding the company’s reach across prominent tier 1 cities.

Cargar Electron:

Cargar is an EV charging tech company based in Ahmedabad. Cargar’s mobile EV charging product ‘Electron’ is a 100% off-grid energy delivery device that can be scheduled and can charge your EV in less than 30 minutes.

The EV chargers show up at your location on an e-loader and provide fast-charging top-up for your EV.

Special Mention:

Kia Motors provides emergency portable charging support for its EV customers in 5 cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru & Hyderabad. The company currently has just 1 electric car in its portfolio, the EV6.

It is covered under the roadside assistance program for 3 years from the date of sale.

Conclusion:

On-demand EV charging is a vital part of the electric vehicle ecosystem. The need for this arises from the current charging infrastructure’s inability to meet the growing demand of EVs. The EV charging infrastructure in cities & along highways, is the backbone for electric vehicle drivers to feel confident that they can travel long distances. India’s EV charging infrastructure is expanding rapidly. But there is a necessity for having the option of emergency on-demand EV charging services as well.