What Happens When Your EV Runs Out of Charging?

The production and registration figures for vehicles with fully electric drives are currently exploding. Nevertheless, by no means all motorists have already become acquainted with the alternative drive concept in practice. A reserve can of petrol for emergencies in the trunk is naturally of little use here. If there is no charging facility nearby, bottlenecks can quickly arise.

The battery of the electric car is completely empty and you didn't make it to the charging station - a nightmare for every e-car driver. But what then? We have looked at the individual options and will tell you how to get out of this situation. Conclusion: There are often quick solutions!

With an empty battery at the side of the road - you can do that

If the battery in your electric car is slowly running out, the onboard computer will give you a warning - these are hard to miss. However, should you run out of battery, you should always carry an emergency number from your car manufacturer. If the new car warranty still applies, then the car manufacturers will help in many cases.

BMW is currently offering attractive emergency assistance. If the battery runs out, the “BMW i-Mobile Care” mobility package comes into play, which is free for the first three years. BMW has a small fleet of service mobiles that are mainly on the road in urban areas. These have a powerful battery on board that you can use to charge your battery on-site.

Battery emergency aids from other car manufacturers are usually not quite as convenient. As a rule, the broken-down electric cars are only transported to the next charging station. If your battery is defective and cannot be charged, you will usually receive a replacement car.

Kia offers the longest warranty: a full seven years. If you get stuck on the road with an empty battery, the 7-year Kia mobility guarantee will take you to the nearest charging station free of charge.

If you have bought a stylish new EQC from Mercedes-Benz, you can use the Mobile Service. This is valid for the first two years after initial registration. In addition, the service can be renewed and used for up to 30 years, provided annual maintenance is carried out by an authorized Mercedes-Benz partner. In addition, a technician can be sent to you free of charge, who will either recharge your vehicle on-site or take the e-car to the nearest authorized workshop.

If the battery runs out - that can be expensive

Other costs can also arise from carelessness: If you stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway or freeway because of an empty battery and the police catch you, it will be expensive. Without a doubt, you can get away cheaper if you find out in advance where you can find suitable charging stations for your battery.

What is the best way to react when your battery is empty?

If the electric car has broken down because there was simply no charging station in sight or you were surprised by an unexpected traffic jam, there are two ways to help yourself: Calling the manufacturer's service hotline or the breakdown service. Here you can expect availability around the clock in emergencies. Portable storage for electricity is still in the testing phase and therefore not a real option. Ultimately, the empty electric car has to be towed to the next charging station.

Roadside assistance for electric cars with an empty battery

As long as you still have a warranty on the electric car, the car manufacturer is your first point of contact in the event of a breakdown. If the new car warranty has expired, there are alternatives. Renault's "Renault Assistance" takes care of breakdowns and similar problems, which is free of charge as part of the new car guarantee. The package also includes if you are stranded with an empty battery. At Renault, you can choose which charging station you are taken to. However, the charging station must not be more than 80 kilometers away. The car manufacturers usually offer their service around the clock. But an empty battery does not always fall into the “breakdown” category.

How to increase the life of your battery

As a rule, today's batteries last about ten years - the performance decreases over time. You can easily see it from the fact that you have to charge the battery in your electric car more and more frequently. However, it is entirely possible to delay the point in time.

As with all other rechargeable batteries, the battery in your electric car should not be permanently fully charged. Only fully charge your battery if you are planning a long journey. Otherwise, a state of charge of around 50 percent is optimal. The battery should not fall below 20 percent and usually not be charged over 80 percent.

• Occasionally let the battery level drop to just under 20 percent before recharging.
• Do not only use quick charges, but also regular so-called “snore charges”, which are much gentler on the battery.
• If you don't drive your electric car for a while, you should keep the battery level at around 50 percent.
• Incidentally, the battery doesn’t like extreme cold any more than it does the extreme heat.
• If your battery has a defect, you don't have to dispose of it immediately. Mitsubishi, for example, offers a battery repair service.