Tip #27: Never let anyone tow an electric car with its drive wheels on the ground
An electric car's motors are connected to its wheels, so rolling those wheels during a tow can spin the motors, generate current and damage parts the car cannot protect while it is off. Check the owner's manual for the transport or tow mode and ask for a flatbed.
Tip #27 in one line
An electric car's motors are connected to its wheels, so rolling those wheels during a tow can spin the motors, generate current and damage parts the car cannot protect while it is off. Check the owner's manual for the transport or tow mode and ask for a flatbed.
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Call nowWhy EVs are different
A gasoline car with an automatic transmission has a gearbox that can be disengaged. An electric car usually has no neutral in the mechanical sense: the motor is geared directly to the wheels. Turn the wheels and the motor turns. A spinning motor acts as a generator, and when the car is powered down its electronics may not be managing that current. Many EVs also have a parking lock or electronic brake that holds the wheels when the car is off, so dragging them can scuff tires or damage the lock.
That is why EV manufacturers generally tell owners to transport the car with all wheels off the ground. Your owner's manual or the manufacturer's app will have a section on towing or transport. Read it before you need it, because it often explains how to release the parking brake or enter a transport mode, and some cars need a little 12-volt power to do that.
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Call nowWhat we do on an EV call
We put electric cars on a flatbed, every time, and we never tow an EV on a wheel-lift. The driver puts the car into its transport or tow mode where the car allows it. If the car is completely dead and will not enter that mode, the driver uses the manual release described for that model, or the winch and wheel skates to load it without rolling the drive wheels.
We do not carry a mobile charger that adds useful range in a reasonable time, so a car that is out of charge goes to a charging station, your home charger or the dealer you choose. The price is the same flat hook fee plus a per-mile rate, quoted before the truck rolls.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowTell the dispatcher three things
Say it is electric, say whether the screen still lights up, and say whether the car will shift out of park. Those answers tell the driver what to expect before he arrives. If the car was in a crash and you see smoke, hear popping or smell something sharp from under the floor, move away and call 911 first. Battery fires are a fire-department job, not a towing job. More on EV loading is in the flatbed towing guide.
If you own an EV, save a screenshot of the towing page from the manual on your phone today. A driver who can see the manufacturer's own instructions loads the car faster, and you will not be searching menus on a dark shoulder with a dead 12-volt battery.
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Call nowMore on vehicle types
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- EV towing in New Jersey: what electric car owners need to know
- Motorcycle towing done right: what riders should expect
- Tip #26: An all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive car belongs on a flatbed
- Tip #28: Tell the dispatcher your car sits low before the truck is sent
- Tip #29: Know where your motorcycle can be strapped before it needs a tow
- Tip #30: Your car may be all-wheel drive even if it does not look like it
- Tip #31: Close and latch a convertible top before the car is towed
- Tip #76: A Tesla needs a flatbed, and the owner's manual explains its transport mode
- All posts
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