Ebuggy EV battery trailer offers four hours of extended range

For those who need (or think they need) to be able to go for hundreds of miles in a plug-in vehicle before they'll take electric vehicle car shopping seriously, it boils down to one of four options:

1. Buy the pricey Tesla Model S with 300-mile range battery.
2. Buy a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
3. Get ready to have AAA EV roadside assistance on speed dial.
4. Use a battery trailer hooked to the back of your car like the EV Mobile Charger or the new ebuggy.

For EV shoppers and owners interested in trying out a battery trailer, ebuggy is offering an on-demand solution. The Stuttgart, Germany-based company has specially-designed ebuggy Stations at existing gas stations and rest stops. The trailer can be towed at speeds of up to 62 miles per hour.

Billing is based on the amount of energy used per month by the customer. After a user registers, they're sent a kit for upgrading their car to the ebuggy system – with a tow hitch, power socket and in-car display that must be fitted to the car. Once set up, the customer can hitch up to a fully charged trailer at a nearby ebuggy Station when they need more range. The ebuggy will provide up to an additional four hours of freeway driving without the support of the EV's battery pack (click here for an animated tour or watch a video below).

The company has made it through the first funding round and has substantial support from the German government. The next step is to begin network trials sometime soon. It is a tough business to jump into. Along with the other modes of extended range driving previously mentioned, ebuggy will soon be in competition with expanded DC fast chargers and battery swap stations.