The AA has added a further 30 full-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to its low-carbon roadside service fleet, reinforcing its drive towards net zero by 2035.

The new Ford Transit Customs include 15 battery electric versions and 15 plug-in hybrids

The latest Ford Transit Custom vans arrived on the fleet in December 2024 and include 15 battery electric versions and 15 plug-in hybrids, joining the existing conventional ICE models.

This will be the first major trial of plug-in vehicles in the organisation’s core yellow roadside assistance vans and the vehicles will operate in strategic locations across Britain including Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Nottingham, Liverpool and London.

Both models of the Ford Transit Custom will be capable of towing, with the PHEV van having a full compact recovery trailer (CRT) set-up. The BEV model has a range of up to 236 miles but initial usage predicts a range (which includes towing) of  around 120 miles.

The yellow vans will undergo a series of structured tests under ‘real-world’ conditions, including the practicality of home and strategic charging, efficiency tests when laden with patrol technical equipment, core stock and recovery equipment whilst retaining a focus on customer and patrol comfort.

All patrols in the trial will have chargers installed at home to enable low-carbon ways of working with both home and on-the-go charging supported by the AA’s partners at Rightcharge.

The AA Fleet Engineering team has worked extensively with FordPro and Bristor to ensure the vehicles meet the required objectives.

By the start of 2025, more than 50 zero- or low-emissions vehicles will be included in the AA’s ‘test and scale’ trials across its van and truck fleet. The range of applications vary from mobile mechanics workshops and AA Key Assist workspaces through to roadside patrol vans and slide-bed recovery trucks.

The latest fleet additions follow the arrival of a trio of fully electric recovery vehicles on the AA’s 240-strong recovery fleet in May last year; said to mark a first for a UK-based roadside assistance firm.

Duncan Webb, AA’s head of fleet, said: “The famous yellow van has seen countless improvements over the decades, but few innovations can be more important than the latest, which sees our ever-reliable fleet of Ford Transit Customs begin its transition to BEV and PHEV.

“The performance of the low-emissions vehicles we launched earlier this year continues to achieve or exceed our expectations. The results, so far, have proved that our ‘test and scale’ approach remains, for us, the most common-sense way of tackling what are unprecedented challenges.”

He added: “The performance of our fully electric Volvo FE Slidebed has not only provided a unique driving experience for our expert patrols but has delivered exceptional mileage range in all conditions.

“The same can be said for our Iveco eDaily Powerload and Iveco eDaily crew vans equipped with a heavy-duty compact recovery trailer (CRT). These vehicles became the first operational EV recovery trucks of their kind in the UK, and the early signs are very encouraging.

“If current trends shown in our ‘test and scale’ approach continue, our strategy could prove pivotal in moving the AA move ever closer to achieving its goal of becoming a net zero organisation by 2035.”