Wednesday 10 May 2023

Hazards of Electric Vehicles: No Spare Tires :)

Mr May's car had to be towed because there was no spare tyre. Many Aussies users questioned why electric and some modern fuel-based cars did not come with spares

Aussie driver exposes huge problem with electric vehicles as he is forced to order a tow truck for his $128k Mercedes after breakdown

  • Eddy May's electric Mercedes-Benz suffered flat tyre
  • Vehicle did not come with spare
  • Many have questioned why EVs do not have spare tyres 

An Australian driver has revealed one of the struggles of owning an electric car - the fact they don't come with spare tyres.

Eddy May and his wife, from Adelaide, were driving their electric Mercedes-Benz EQC-400, worth around $128,000, along a freeway on Sunday morning when something sliced open one of the wheels.

After pulling over to the side of the road, Mr May used the vehicle's in-car service feature to alert Mercedes about the flat tyre, given there wasn't a spare in his car.

'There's no spare in this f**king car because all the room is taken up with batteries and so forth,' he said.

Eddy May and his wife, from Adelaide, had been driving their $128,000 electric Mercedes-Benz along a freeway on Sunday morning when something sliced one of the wheels

Eddy May and his wife, from Adelaide, had been driving their $128,000 electric Mercedes-Benz along a freeway on Sunday morning when something sliced one of the wheels

WHY IS THERE NO SPARE TYRE IN MOST ELECTRIC VEHICLES?

- A heavy tyre adds too much extra weight to the car and reduces the range of the vehicle

- It is difficult to get enough physical clearance over the brake to fit a spare tyre

Mercedes-Benz arranged for a tow-truck to come and collect his car and gave Mr May a $200 cab voucher to get home.

He was told they'd fix the tyre and his car would be returned to him the following day.

While he praised the luxury car brand for their efficient service, his story sparked debate as to why electric and even many modern petrol and diesel powered cars were being made without spare tyres.

The majority of EVs do not come with spares due to extra weight they add to the vehicle and amount of space the tyre takes up.

'The reason is that it’s hard to get enough physical clearance over the brake to fit a spare wheel. These big and huge spare wheels are also very heavy – and extra weight costs range in an EV,' explained Tom Baker, editor of ChasingCars.com.au

'For people based in metropolitan areas, within easy reach of roadside assistance and replacement tyres, that isn’t necessarily a major problem. 

'But in big countries like Australia, where there can be vast distances between towns, it is a cause for concern.'

Mr May's car had to be towed because there was no spare tyre. Many Aussies users questioned why electric and some modern fuel-based cars did not come with spares

Mr May's car had to be towed because there was no spare tyre. Many Aussies users questioned why electric and some modern fuel-based cars did not come with spares

Mr Baker suggested that one of the solutions is purchase a spare tyre through your electric vehicle dealer.

'This set can then be placed in the boot of your vehicle – but this takes up a lot of space, and can be a major hazard if not tied down adequately,' he explained. 

Mercedes Benz electric cars come with a tyre repair kit and compressor, but Mr May pointed out the 'three-inch slice' in his tyre was beyond repair.

'A lot of cars don't have spares these days,' one person commented.

'Not just EVs, nearly every new car,' said another.

'So many modern cars without spare wheels, what a nightmare!' wrote a third.

'EV or not, I will not buy a car without a spare wheel,' someone commented.

'If you had a spare you could have changed it and been on your way in 15 minutes max!'

Experts warn older multi-storey car parks could be at risk of collapsing due to the weight of electric vehicles (pictured, a car park in the Britain after a wall collapsed)

Experts warn older multi-storey car parks could be at risk of collapsing due to the weight of electric vehicles (pictured, a car park in the Britain after a wall collapsed)

During the Christmas holidays, Tesla drivers were forced to wait in 90-minute queues at charging stations as thousands took to the roads

During the Christmas holidays, Tesla drivers were forced to wait in 90-minute queues at charging stations as thousands took to the roads 

We planned to charge at Oxford services, about 50 miles away. But when we arrived, one of the two electric chargers was broken and three cars were queueing for the one that was still working. Pictured: Packed out charging bays

We planned to charge at Oxford services, about 50 miles away. But when we arrived, one of the two electric chargers was broken and three cars were queueing for the one that was still working. Pictured: Packed out charging bays

Auto executives are losing faith in the electric car revolution as it's developing in America. Tesla (above) continues to be the dominant player in the space

Auto executives are losing faith in the electric car revolution

A photo of a 'tangled mess' of extension leads hanging over a wet public footpath on a rainy day shows the lengths electric car drivers are having to go to to charge their Teslas

A photo of a 'tangled mess' of extension leads hanging over a wet public footpath on a rainy day shows the lengths electric car drivers are having to go to to charge their EVs

Residents told Fordham the power cord extensions (pictured) remain lying on the road and across the footpath, even when the electric vehicle isn't parked there

The power cord extensions (pictured) remain lying on the road and across the footpath, even when the electric vehicle isn't parked there

The power cables charging the electric car extend from the road into the property and loop over the front fence

The power cables charging the electric car extend from the road into the property and loop over the front fence

Just last week, a report by the Commons Transport Committee found that taxpayers face an eye-watering £35 billion bill to plug the gap created by the switch to electric cars. Pictured George Eustice

A report by the Commons Transport Committee found that taxpayers face an eye-watering £35 billion bill to plug the gap created by the switch to electric cars. 

According to one authoritative study, even by 2050 electric cars will make up just 20 per cent of global car travel.

According to one authoritative study, even by 2050 electric cars will make up just 20 per cent of global car travel.

As for charging, for many owners this is simply a question of fitting a point in their driveway. But 40 per cent of UK households don¿t have access to off-street parking

As for charging, for many owners this is simply a question of fitting a point in their driveway. But 40 per cent of UK households don’t have access to off-street parking 

Californians are being advised not to charge their electric cars between 4 to 9pm from Wednesday to Tuesday due to the excessive heatwave to help reduce the strain on the power grid

Californians were advised not to charge their electric cars between 4 to 9pm during a heatwave to help reduce the strain on the power grid 

Electric car batteries, like this example (pictured), are costly to produce, so the difference can amount to thousands of pounds, even for budget friendly models

Electric car batteries, like this example (pictured), are costly to produce, so the difference can amount to thousands of pounds, even for budget friendly models

Although the number of charging points is growing all the time, they are not spread evenly across the country

Although the number of charging points is growing all the time, they are not spread evenly across the country

Firefighters in Florida are dealing with a new problem in the wake of Hurricane Ian's damaging floods - explosive fires caused by waterlogged batteries in electric vehicles. ABOVE: Firefighters in Naples, Florida, handle the aftermath of a fire in a Tesla

Firefighters in Florida are dealing with a new problem in the wake of Hurricanes causing damaging floods - explosive fires caused by waterlogged batteries in electric vehicles. ABOVE: Firefighters in Naples, Florida, handle the aftermath of a fire in a Tesla

'There’s a ton of EVs disabled from Ian. As those batteries corrode, fires start,' Florida's fire marshal and top financial officer Jimmy Patronis tweeted Thursday

There’s a ton of EVs disabled from hurricanes. As their batteries corrode, fires start

'That’s a new challenge that our firefighters haven’t faced before,' Patronis added. 'At least on this kind of scale'

'That’s a new challenge that our firefighters haven’t faced before, at least on this kind of scale'

Hurricane Ian inundated several cities along the Sunshine State's west coast when it made landfall as a category 4 storm packing 155 mph winds

Hurricane inundation

Powercor responded to the fire before placing the charging station offline for four days

charging station on fire

Firefighters used 22,000 litres of water to extinguish a Tesla Model S that caught on fire while the driver was on a Sacramento freeway

Firefighters used 22,000 litres of water to extinguish a Tesla Model S that caught on fire while the driver was on a Sacramento freeway

Five vehicles went up in flames that were rented by the U.S. Secret Service during President Joe Biden's Thanksgiving vacation to Nantucket. The fire was just 40 feet from the airport's 25,000-gallon jet fuel tanks

Five vehicles went up in flames that were rented by the U.S. Secret Service during President Joe Biden's Thanksgiving vacation to Nantucket. The fire was just 40 feet from the airport's 25,000-gallon jet fuel tanks

The vehicles, rented from Hertz, were destroyed from a yet-to-be-explained fire on Monday in the parking lot of the Nantucket Memorial Airport – just one day after the president left the island to return to Washington, D.C.

The vehicles, rented from Hertz, were destroyed from a yet-to-be-explained fire in the parking lot of the Nantucket Memorial Airport

The fire occurred along Interstate 80, an hour north of Pittsburgh, around 11:00 am Tuesday

This fire occurred along Interstate 80, an hour north of Pittsburgh

A family of three, and their dog Coco, narrowly escaped with their lives after their Tesla caught fire

A family of three, and their dog Coco, narrowly escaped with their lives after their Tesla caught fire 

The fire department said in a press release: 'To give you an idea of the severity, crews can normally extinguish a fully involved vehicle fire with approximately 500 gallons or less'

The fire department said in a press release: 'To give you an idea of the severity, crews can normally extinguish a fully involved vehicle fire with approximately 500 gallons or less'

Tesla vehicles have undergone recalls for various reasons over the last 12 months but none for battery issues


The fire department's statement said that the excessive fire was due to the car's lithium-ion battery. The release read: 'This vehicle burnt so hot and long that if it was not for the rims, you might not even of know it was a vehicle'

The fire department's statement said that the excessive fire was due to the car's lithium-ion battery. The release read: 'This vehicle burnt so hot and long that if it was not for the rims, you might not even of know it was a vehicle'

The couple behind the wheel were on a family road trip with their daughter bound for Yarmouth, Massachusetts, when the fire occurred

The couple behind the wheel were on a family road trip with their daughter

The Morris Township Volunteer Fire Company called in help from several other departments for help in battling the blaze

The Morris Township Volunteer Fire Company called in help from several other departments for help in battling the blaze 

Lithium-ion batteries are a Nobel-Prize-winning innovation that entered the market in the early 1990s. An increase in electric vehicle use over recent years has brought to light some of the risks associated with them

Lithium-ion batteries are a Nobel-Prize-winning innovation that entered the market in the early 1990s. An increase in electric vehicle use over recent years has brought to light some of the risks associated with them

The recall was also issued a day after one of BMW's electric vehicles caught fire on a highway in China
The blue sedan was parked in the middle of the right lane with flames shooting out from underneath.

 one of BMW's electric vehicles caught fire on a highway in China. The blue sedan was parked in the middle of the right lane with flames shooting out from underneath


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