Manufacturer Roadside Assistance: What's Free With Your EV

Almost every EV sold new in Australia comes with complimentary roadside assistance, but the fine print varies wildly by brand. As of mid-2026, MG bundles 7 years, Polestar 5 years, and new Tesla Model 3 and Model Y deliveries 5 years tied to the warranty. Hyundai gives its EVs 24 months that keeps renewing with dealer servicing, Kia and BYD start at 12 months with extension mechanisms, and Toyota, unusually, doesn’t bundle a long program at all, selling its Roadside Assist as a paid membership. Free is genuinely free here, but the durations, renewal conditions and out-of-charge policies deserve a closer look before you decide you don’t need anything else.

What does each brand include?

Tesla ties roadside assistance to the warranty, which since 1 January 2026 means five years with unlimited kilometres on new Model 3 and Model Y deliveries (older cars: four years or 80,000 km). It’s strong on warranty breakdowns, with vehicle transport of up to 800 km to a service centre, but running out of charge isn’t a financially covered service. The full detail, including the app request flow, is in our Tesla roadside assistance guide.

BYD moved to a complimentary 12-month roadside program for all new customers from 22 July 2025, delivered in partnership with roadside provider AMS and renewable annually. It sits alongside a 6-year/150,000 km vehicle warranty and 8-year/160,000 km battery cover. Earlier BYD buyers should check which program their car falls under, as arrangements changed as the brand scaled up.

Hyundai has the most generous renewal model. New Hyundai BEVs (Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Kona Electric and others) include 24 months of Premium Roadside Support, double the 12 months petrol buyers get. Every scheduled service at an authorised Hyundai dealer then renews cover for another 12 months, effectively giving you roadside support for the life of the car up to a 10-year cap. Unused cover also transfers to the next owner, which is worth mentioning when you sell.

Kia runs the same shape with a shorter ceiling: 12 months complimentary, renewed for 12 months with each scheduled service at an authorised Kia dealer, to a maximum of 8 years. The catch in both Korean programs is obvious once stated: service outside the dealer network and the renewals stop.

MG keeps it simple. New MG passenger vehicles, including the MG4 and ZS EV, carry a 7-year unlimited-kilometre warranty with 7 years of roadside assistance to match. No servicing conditions on the roadside term itself, which makes it the longest unconditional cover in the market as of mid-2026.

Polestar includes 5 years of roadside assistance with every new car, covering recovery, alternative transport and even an overnight stay where needed, summoned via the connect button in the headlining or the app. Pre-owned cars sold through Polestar carry a 24-month assistance package.

Toyota is the honest oddity. The bZ4X gets Toyota’s 10-year battery warranty pathway through its servicing program, but Toyota doesn’t bundle long complimentary national roadside assistance the way the brands above do. Toyota Roadside Assist exists as a paid membership (historically from around $78 to $99 a year, with tiers), and some dealers include complimentary periods with a purchase or service. If you’re buying a bZ4X, ask the dealer exactly what’s included and for how long, and get it in writing.

What the brochures don’t say

Three caveats apply across nearly every brand. First, manufacturer programs are warranty-adjacent: they’re designed around faults, and the default tow destination is the nearest dealer, not the nearest fast charger. Second, out-of-charge policies are inconsistent and often unstated; some programs treat a flat battery like running out of petrol, which may mean help is arranged but not free. Tesla says this explicitly; most others don’t say at all, so check your handbook’s terms rather than assuming. Third, the renewal-based programs quietly die if you service independently, which is a real cost to weigh against cheaper non-dealer servicing.

Is the free cover enough?

For a new EV that lives in a capital city, usually yes: genuine faults are rare, warranty cover handles them, and public chargers are dense enough that running flat takes determination. The case for adding a club membership rests on the gaps: explicit out-of-charge towing (RACV’s Total Care tows EVs up to 200 km in that exact scenario), cover that doesn’t care where you service the car, and entitlements that continue after year 7, 8 or 10. Our best roadside assistance for EV owners guide weighs the manufacturer programs against the clubs and insurer add-ons in one table.

The sensible play as of mid-2026: know exactly what your brand gave you and when it expires, keep dealer servicing if your cover depends on it, and add club membership the day your driving turns regional or your complimentary years run out. All terms above were verified against manufacturer publications in mid-2026, and these programs change with model years, so confirm the current terms for your build date before relying on them.