This EV Owner Created the Perfect Spare Tire Setup and Is Offering the Part Numbers and List of Items For Fellow EV Drivers

Electric vehicle crossovers, hatchbacks, and sedans in general have many pluses. They drive wonderfully, have strong torque, are quiet, and in certain circumstances are cheaper to operate. However, one way nearly all of them fall down is by removing the spare tire. It is very frustrating to have a simple puncture in winter and need to be towed. Where does the car seat go in the tow truck? How can your mobility-limited mom climb up into it? How will you get home if Uber is unavailable and the truck cannot accommodate your family?

One enterprising Chevy Bolt owner was uncomfortable driving long distances away his support services, but wanted to keep using his Bolt on these road trips. So he created a spare tire kit of his own. We’ve examined the kit, and it seems perfect. Before we break it down and give you direct links to the items he used, here is what the owner says about the kit:

My spare tire and kit arrived today. Everything seems to be of decent quality. Hope I never need to use it, but I have the option now. Wanted to grab these items before my trip in 15 days. All in was under $200 doing it this way. The quality of the jack and tools is decent. Seems to be good enough to lift the car. I may actually try to lift the car and bolt the wheel on my Bolt with this kit just to make sure it really works. Some warmer weather is coming at the end of this week.

What You Need In a Spare Tire Kit
Your EV maker likely also stole your jack and lug-nut tool when they pilfered your spare. So, here is a quick list of items we recommend having in the car if you do find a spare tire to fit your EV:
 - The compact spare tire itself
 - Portable air pump that plugs into your 12V outlet or runs via battery and charges on a USB
 - Flat-head screwdriver
 - Long-handled socket wrench with a socket and extender that fits your specific model EV’s lugnuts
 - Jack you have tested
 - LED headlamp
 - Cheap work gloves
 - One neatly folded 39-gallon garbage bag
 - AAA card

Most of the items here are self-explanatory, but we will explain the others. The flathead screwdriver is in case your EV has a wheel cover or center cover that needs to be helped off to access the lugs. You need a long-hand on your socket wrench for torque because dummies who rotate your tires at shops often over-tighten the lugs. The headlamp is because flat tires happen at night. The portable air pump can help if you have a slow leak and can drive to your home or to a service station without the need for actually using the spare. It can also help top up your spare, which likely needs 60 psi. The work gloves are handy if it’s chilly, and they keep your hands clear. The garbage bag is handy because you may need to put the dirty tire you remove into the back seat if the cargo area is already full. It also works great as an emergency rain poncho. Why the AAA card? We find that AAA is well worth the membership fee, even if you have “roadside assistance” via your car warranty or insurance. Let AAA come and let the pro change your tire for you. It’s safer, and if anything goes wrong, you’ll have on-site help. If you prefer to go it alone, the tools await.

The Bolt Bill of Materials
Here are the items the Bolt owner offered up from his own kit:
1) Spare tire
2) Tool Kit: Scissor Jack Lift - 2 Ton Car Tire Jack Tool, Universal Emergency Kit. The kit includes a socket wrench and gloves. Just check that “universal” works for your car’s lugs.

How to Find a Spare Tire
Another option is to call Modern Spare. This is a company that created a spare tire kit for you. They offer spare tire kits for the Bolt, ranging in price from $240 to $320. Modern Spare has EV kits for 17 EV brands, including Tesla, Toyota, Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Kia.

Many EVs and Plug-In Vehicles Do Come With Spares
Although most EVs don’t have spares, many do. You can see our list of the EVs with spares in 2025 right here.

Have you added a spare tire kit to your electric vehicle? Tell us about it in the comments below. Our thanks for the image permissions and the info from the very generous Chevy Bolt owner, J.A.

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.