Cross Country Automotive Services Launches Nation's First Electric Vehicle Mobile Charging Roadside Assistance Program

MEDFORD, Mass., Aug. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cross Country Automotive Services (Cross Country), a leading provider of driver and vehicle assistance services in North America, is introducing the nation's first mobile charging warranty roadside assistance program for electric vehicle owners.

The program offers emergency charging assistance – approximately 5 miles of range for as little as 15 minutes of charge – to drivers whose electric vehicle batteries have been depleted, relieving driver anxiety about being stranded. Services will be provided through specially equipped mobile charging units manufactured to serve the emerging electric vehicle (EV) service market.

The seven initial markets where the program will be available are: Los Angeles; Phoenix; Nashville; Portland; San Diego; San Francisco and Seattle. The first mobile charge within the program was successfully completed on August 26 in Phoenix, taking only 15 minutes to provide driver with an additional 5 miles. Cross Country will be adding additional mobile charging units to other areas throughout its national service provider network across the country.

"Serving as the roadside assistance provider for a number of electric vehicle companies, Cross Country recognizes the need to provide unique solutions that are specific in assisting the emerging number of electric vehicle owners, ensuring they will receive the same high levels of service and peace of mind they've come to expect whenever they were behind the steering wheel," said Dave Ferrick, senior vice president at Cross Country. "As a result, we've developed a program that offers mobile chargers in the largest number of markets of any roadside assistance program in the country. Our green solution relies on propane fuel, which burns cleaner than gasoline and avoids significant weight to the service truck, thereby not impacting the truck's fuel efficiency."

These mobile charges may be mounted on small trailers, and consist of 10 kWh propane-powered generators that efficiently charge the disabled electric vehicles.

Available to both Service Providers and dealerships, the chargers offer the capability to quickly and safely charge multiple vehicles concurrently through a Level 2 charging protocol, delivering consistent utility grade power. In addition, the charger is capable of back-to-back services without the need to recharge any onboard batteries.

For more information, visit www.crosscountry-auto.com.

About Cross Country

For nearly 40 years, Cross Country Automotive Services has been a pioneer and thought leader in creating and delivering technology-enabled service solutions for the auto and insurance industries.

Cross Country manages roadside assistance programs in the U.S. on behalf of global automobile manufacturers and U.S. insurance carriers, providing solutions for the nearly 6 million roadside service events experienced by their consumers each year. In addition, Cross Country provides accident scene management, vehicle release management and total loss screening services for insurance carriers, customer care services and connected vehicle services for a number of automotive manufacturers.

For more information, visit www.crosscountry-auto.com.

SOURCE Cross Country Automotive Services