The RAC has become the first major breakdown recovery service to use an electric patrol van after starting a trial with the Renault Zoe Van. Although the hatchback-based vans cannot tow another vehicle – and the RAC says no electric vehicle is yet capable of that task – the small vans still carry tools to fix “four out of five breakdowns on the spot”.
The trial van, which is fitted with a 55 kWh battery, will mainly be tasked with attending the RAC’s most common breakdowns: battery issues and tyre problems. Together, those two issues account for almost half of callouts, so the RAC has kitted the Zoe out with up to six replacement 12-volt batteries, two tyres and a trolley jack, as well as a battery tester, the RAC’s RACScan diagnostic tool and a selection of other tools.
