Fuel delivery

Run out of fuel? Find the nearest roadside assistance quickly

Running out of fuel can bring a journey to an unexpectedly rapid halt. A petrol or diesel car may stop at the roadside, on a driveway, in a car park or in the middle of a long stretch of road. The equivalent situation in an electric car occurs when the traction battery charge falls so low that the vehicle can no longer reach the nearest charging point.
There is still a way to continue your journey. Roadside assistance can deliver fuel to a combustion-engined car so it can be driven to the nearest filling station. If an electric car’s traction battery becomes completely depleted, a recovery vehicle can transport it to the nearest suitable charging point.

HinausSuomi helps you quickly find the towing or roadside assistance company operating nearest your location. The service’s map and list include all official towing companies in Finland, allowing you to search impartially from one place. You are not automatically directed to a particular towing chain or paid membership service; you can choose the nearest or otherwise most suitable company yourself.
HinausSuomi is free to use. The service neither requires nor supports registration, and finding help does not require installing an app or purchasing membership. Open the map, check the nearest options and contact your chosen towing company directly.

Roadside assistance delivers fuel to your car

When a car runs out of petrol or diesel, it does not usually need to be towed straight to a garage. Roadside assistance can bring a small amount of the correct fuel to the scene. The aim is to start the car and enable it to be driven to the nearest filling station.
Fuel delivery may be needed when the driver has misjudged the remaining range, the nearest filling station is farther away than expected, or the fuel gauge has not shown the remaining amount correctly. The distances between filling stations can also come as a surprise on a long stretch of road.

When you call roadside assistance, say immediately whether the car requires petrol or diesel. Also provide its make, model, registration number and exact location. Do not guess the fuel type if you are uncertain. Adding the wrong fuel can cause a much more serious problem than simply running out.
The amount of fuel delivered by roadside assistance is usually intended to let you continue to the nearest filling station. The service may not fill the tank, but instead supply enough fuel to get the vehicle moving again. Practices and the amount delivered vary between providers.

The car may not start immediately after refuelling

A car will often start normally once enough of the correct fuel has been added to the tank. However, adding fuel alone does not always resolve the problem.
If the car does not start after roadside assistance has delivered fuel, there may also be a technical fault. A problem in the fuel system, battery, starter motor or electrical system may have occurred at the same time as the car ran out of fuel. In some vehicles, a fuel system that has been run completely dry may also require more than an ordinary starting attempt.
A roadside assistance professional will assess the situation at the scene. If the car cannot be started safely, it can be towed to a garage for more detailed diagnostics. You should therefore describe as precisely as possible what happened before the car stopped and whether the engine is still attempting to start.

Electric car out of charge – recovery to the nearest charging point

In an electric car, the equivalent of running out of fuel is the traction battery becoming depleted. The car will usually warn of a low charge and display an estimate of the remaining range, but actual consumption is affected by factors such as driving speed, temperature, weather conditions, vehicle load and the use of heating.
If an electric car stops completely and cannot reach a charging point, the usual solution is to transport it by recovery vehicle to the nearest suitable charger. Some roadside assistance companies may have mobile charging equipment, but it is not available everywhere. Recovery to a suitable charging point is therefore generally the most reliable solution.

Tell the towing company during the initial call that the vehicle is fully electric. Give the exact make and model, as instructions for moving and recovering vehicles vary. A professional will select suitable equipment and a suitable transport method for the car.
Do not attempt to tow an electric car yourself with an ordinary rope unless you are certain that the manufacturer permits the method. Incorrect towing can damage the vehicle’s drivetrain or electrical system. The safe option is to request professional recovery and, where necessary, transport the entire car on a flatbed recovery vehicle.
For example, If states that, when the policy conditions are met, it covers recovery of a fully electric passenger car to the nearest charging point if the traction battery runs out of charge during a journey. This does not mean that the same claims practice applies to every insurer or every comprehensive motor insurance policy.

Stay safe if your car stops at the roadside

If you notice that fuel or charge is running low, try to move the car to the safest possible location before it stops completely. Where possible, park in a rest area, car park or sufficiently far away from the traffic lane.
Switch on the hazard warning lights and make sure other road users can see the stopped car in good time. Wear a high-visibility vest and place the warning triangle far enough behind the car only when it is safe to do so. Liikenneturva emphasises the importance of hazard warning lights, visibility and warning other traffic in hazardous roadside situations.

On a motorway, passengers should generally not remain seated in the vehicle on the side exposed to traffic. Where possible, move to a safe place behind the barrier and wait for roadside assistance there. If the vehicle is dangerously positioned in a traffic lane or poses an immediate danger to other traffic, call the emergency number 112.
Do not set off on foot to fetch fuel from a busy road or motorway. The HinausSuomi map allows you to find the nearest roadside assistance and have fuel delivered safely to your car.

Find the nearest fuel delivery on the HinausSuomi map

When you run out of fuel, you may not already know the nearest roadside assistance provider. It can happen in an unfamiliar town, on a holiday journey, on a remote road or in the middle of the night.
The HinausSuomi map shows the towing and roadside assistance companies operating nearest your vehicle’s location. You can view the options in one place and call your chosen company directly, without going through a compulsory intermediary.
The nearest towing company is not always in the same municipality as the stopped car. The vehicle may be close to a municipal boundary or on a road that a recovery vehicle from a neighbouring municipality can reach more quickly. It is therefore best to search using the actual location rather than only the municipality name.

During the call, provide:

• the car’s exact location and direction of travel
• the registration number and the car’s make and model
• whether the car uses petrol, diesel or electricity
• whether the car is parked safely or is partly in the carriageway
• how many passengers are travelling in the car
• whether an electric car requires recovery to a charging point.

Using this information, the towing company can assess whether fuel delivery will be sufficient or whether a recovery vehicle is required.

Does comprehensive motor insurance cover running out of fuel?

Cover for running out of fuel varies considerably between insurers and insurance products. You should therefore not automatically assume that comprehensive motor insurance will pay for fuel delivery or recovery.
Some insurers’ emergency roadside services also provide help when a vehicle runs out of fuel, but the insurance may not cover the fuel supplied. Pohjola Insurance’s Emergency Roadside Service lists running out of fuel as one situation in which assistance may be available, but the limitations of its roadside assistance cover state that the fuel itself is not covered.
Other policies may exclude recovery or roadside assistance caused by running out of fuel altogether. For example, If states that its insurance does not cover running out of fuel, although towing services may still be available for a charge.

For electric cars, the policy terms may contain a separate provision concerning a depleted traction battery and recovery to a charging point. Claims practices are not uniform, so you should always confirm the exact cover with your insurer.
HinausSuomi is not an insurance company and does not make claims decisions. We cannot guarantee cover for fuel, roadside assistance work, recovery to a charging point or other costs. HinausSuomi is free to use, but work performed by the towing company and the fuel supplied may be chargeable.

Fuel delivery and electric-car recovery throughout Finland

The nationwide HinausSuomi map helps you find assistance after running out of fuel anywhere in Finland. The network’s towing and roadside assistance companies serve large cities, smaller towns and main roads between municipalities.
You can search for the nearest roadside assistance in places including Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, Oulu, Turku, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lahti and Pori. The service also helps in Joensuu, Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Vaasa, Hämeenlinna, Seinäjoki, Rovaniemi, Porvoo, Mikkeli and Salo.
HinausSuomi is not limited to these cities. The towing-company network shown on the map operates nationwide in every Finnish municipality. You can search for help in a city centre, a shop car park, on a road to a holiday cottage, on a driveway or beside a long stretch of road.

Request fuel delivery or recovery to a charging point

When a car runs out of petrol or diesel, roadside assistance can deliver fuel to the vehicle and help you continue your journey. If an electric car’s traction battery becomes depleted, a towing company can transport it to the nearest suitable charging point. If the car does not start after fuel has been added, it can be towed to a garage if necessary.
Open the HinausSuomi map, check the nearest towing companies and contact your chosen company directly. The service is free to use and requires no registration.
Find the nearest roadside assistance in seconds and arrange fuel delivery to your car or recovery of an electric vehicle to the nearest charging point.