EV driver reveals must-have $100 item after outback mishap: ‘Completely screwed’

Electric car owner Nathan Thomas swears by the must-have item for peace of mind.

Nathan Thomas and husband Mike smile for a selfie in front of their electric car, BYD (left) and Nathan in a campsite with their tent set up and BYD in the background with a camping table and two chairs (right).
Nathan Thomas urged all electric car owners to pack one 'mandatory' item while travelling the country after he broke down in the outback with his husband Michael. Source: Supplied

An EV owner who has clocked up thousands of kilometres travelling around the country has urged drivers to pack one, must-have item if they want to avoid the many "horror stories" he's heard on the road from those who don't.

Nathan Thomas told Yahoo News Australia he was driving his BYD with his husband Michael last Thursday when a warning light flashed up on the dash. And worst of all, they were travelling along the Nullarbor Plain — a notorious 1,200-kilometre stretch of road in rural South Australia.

"We were driving through the Nullarbor and the warning light came on, one tyre was losing pressure really quickly. We pulled over and the thing was completely screwed," the Sydney man said.

Nathan confessed he is no handyman but his flat tyre was merely a blip thanks to one item he packed in his car after receiving advice from fellow EV owners — a space-saver tyre.

Nathan changing the flat tyre over to the space-saver tyre on the Nullarbor Plain (left) and the couple smile with thumbs up beside the mechanic who helped them in Ceduna (right).
The couple managed to drive 300 kilometres towards a mechanic (right) on the space-saver tyre. Source: Supplied

Many cars are now being manufactured without spare tyres and buying one from Facebook Marketplace was all Nathan had to do to avoid being stranded. He said changing it was "really easy".

"It fit like a glove! We drove 300 kilometres further, staying at 80 kilometres an hour, and it got us to Ceduna," he said, explaining a local mechanic helped them out from there after they fit the thin tyre to their EV.

"A lot of new cars don't come with a spare tyre, not just EVs. If you're in the city you can get it fixed but out on the road there's no NRMA," he said.

While on the road, Nathan has heard his fair share of "horror stories" from travellers who have found themselves stranded in the outback without a spare tyre, with many assuming their car had one until they were desperately in need and were without.

"I heard this story about a guy yesterday who basically blew the tyre of his 4WD and was on the road for like 25 days, ran out of water after day six. Eventually, a lady found him in bad shape," Nathan said.

Nathan leans against a EV charging station while their BYD is recharged.
Nathan and his husband have driven tens of thousands kilometres in their BYD. Source: Supplied

After his recent close call, Nathan now swears by a space-saver tyre.

"We would never do a long road trip in the outback without a space-aver tyre as I think it's too dangerous... It's just mandatory to just pack it," he said.

After sharing his warning on social media, many Aussies were shocked to hear that newer cars are no longer being fitted with spare tyres.

"Don't all cars come with a spare?" Many questioned.

"Should be mandatory," said another. In Australia, it isn't illegal to not have a spare in your car, but it is advised.

"The sad thing is most cars don't have them anymore," pointed out another Aussie.

It's certainly not the first time that an electric car driver has been left caught out by a lack of spare tyre.

Earlier this year a Tesla Model Y owner was left staring at her white car atop a tow truck after the triangular EV label on her number plate, which is compulsory for EVs registered in Australia, came loose and stuck into her tyre, puncturing the material and rendering it useless.

Teslas are renowned for not having a spare tyre leaving all who drive the cars are susceptible to the same towing fate if this occurs to them.

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