Must-Have Emergency Items For EV Road Trips – CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

---

I recently came across a YouTube video where Mike In The Woods shares what he carries in his Tesla for emergency preparedness. The video shares some great ideas, so in this article, I’ll be summarizing what he recommends and then start adding some recommendations of my own.

After having some idiot wreck into him and then thinking about the state of EV charging, Mike realized that there are still some things that every EV driver needs to carry along on trips. It’s obviously not possible to prepare for every possible situation, but being able to handle the most common problems is important!

Charging Equipment

Ideally, every EV charging station would be perfect, they’d all have the same plug, and they’d never be down. Combine that perfect world with some trip planning, and you’d never ever get stranded or need to limp to the next charger at low speeds. But we don’t live in that perfect EV world, and have to deal with the charging situation we’re dealt.

Mike puts all of his equipment in two bags in his Model 3’s frunk. The bags contain:

• A 100’ THICK extension cord (to reach a wall plug for Level 1 as a last resort or while visiting)
• A CCS-NACS adapter (for charging the Tesla at CCS charging stations)
• An EVSE with adapters for
  • wall outlets
  • NEMA 14-50 (50-amp RV)
  • NEMA TT-30 (30-amp RV)
• J-1772 adapter with locking collar
• Funnel for washer fluid, and ice scraper (in with charging stuff for no particular reason)

Recovery Gear

• He uses winter tires during the winter
• Tow hook
• Traction boards/pads
• Cat litter (adds grit for ice)
• Air compressor for air downs

“Get Home” Bag

In this bag, he has basic survival supplies in case things get really, really bad, along with things to take a flight home just in case. It’s stored in the under-trunk area in the back. In this bag, he carries:

• Water
• First aid kit
• Map of the province he’s visiting (he’s Canadian)
• TP
• Dryer lint for fire starting (tinder)
• Lighter
• Bug spray
• Sunscreen
• Fork, knife, spoon
• Whistle
• Extra underwear, socks, shirt
• Aluminum cup that can be used for boiling/melting snow
• Short length of rope
• 24 hours’ worth of food
• Reflective vest
• Space blanket shelter
• Space blanket
• Rain poncho

What I Would Add To This

On top of what he recommends above (and I also mostly carry), I’d also recommend a few more important things.

First off, I’d recommend carrying a spare tire. Yes, I know manufacturers typically don’t include spare tires these days, but that really doesn’t mean much. Manufacturers are concerned with cost cutting and with getting another tiny bit of range for EPA ratings. You, on the other hand, should be more concerned with getting home! It could be a donut spare from a supplier like Modern Spare. It could be a cheap used tire from the local llantera guy. Or it could be a complete full-size spare that matches your normal tires.

For me, I’d recommend the donut spare if you’re only driving in town or you always have money for a new tire in the next town. Having the donut is still better than getting a tow because you can swap a spare on without cellular signal. But I’d recommend going with a full-size spare for maximum flexibility. If there is no suitable tire in the next town, or you don’t have the funds on you, or you can’t wait to go on to the next town while something gets ordered in, having the full-size spare makes it possible to just keep driving until you get to a better tire, if not complete your trip entirely.

Along with the tire, have tools to change that tire. A jack, a tire iron that fits your lug nuts, a screwdriver, and a multitool are all good to bring along. I personally always carry a small floor jack for quick tire changes for both vehicle and trailer.

Another thing I’d recommend thinking about is emergency communications. There are many highways with bad cellular service, and you’re just as likely to break down or get stuck there as anywhere else. If you want to be extra fancy, you could get high-speed internet via a Starlink Mini. If you are the technical type, you could get into amateur radio (ham radio). If you’re a big fan of Convoy (and can sing the song, at least partially, on command) and don’t stray too far from the interstate, you could go with a CB radio. There are also satellite communicators, cell phones with built-in satellite messaging in emergencies, satellite phones, LoRa Meshtastic communicators, and many more options.

Just be sure to have something that’s likely to get help to come to you!

Another thing to consider is keeping at least some spare charge. Many people like to roll up to the next charger with as little as 1% charge, or maybe even have the goal of showing up at about zero. While you can save a few minutes at each stop, it’s also easy to fall short if the weather or road conditions aren’t what you expected. Also, having some spare electrons can be good if the charger is busted and you need to go to another! I always plan to show up with 10% left.

Finally, I’d consider something to keep yourself safe from predators, both on four and two legs. It’s beyond the scope of this article and this publication to talk about firearms, but if that’s your jam, be sure to take a class to learn how to be safe with one and not shoot your nuts off. It’s also good to know what the laws are to keep yourself from needing to worry about dropping the soap during your showers. For those not inclined to that solution, there are plenty of other alternatives, like pepper spray, non-lethal projectile weapons, tasers, a tire iron, a baseball bat (keep a ball and a glove in the car), or knowledge of actual martial arts. Or, some mix of all of the above, preferably.

If all else fails, you could bring along a Steve Urkel transformation booth and some Bruce Lee DNA, right?

The key thing for all of this is to think ahead for what might go wrong and prepare. 

Featured image by Jennifer Sensiba.