EV towing in New Jersey: what electric car owners need to know
Electric vehicles should be carried on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground, as most manufacturers direct. Before the truck arrives, read the towing section of your owner's manual, and tell the dispatcher the make, model and whether the car will power on and shift into neutral.
The short answer
Electric vehicles should be carried on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground, as most manufacturers direct. Before the truck arrives, read the towing section of your owner's manual, and tell the dispatcher the make, model and whether the car will power on and shift into neutral.
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Call nowWhy an EV is towed differently
In a gasoline car with the transmission in neutral, the wheels can usually turn without turning the engine. In an electric car, the drive motors are connected to the wheels. Rolling the drive wheels down the road spins the motors, which can generate current the system is not designed to handle while the car is off. That is why manufacturers generally say an EV should be transported with all four wheels off the ground.
Many EVs are also all-wheel-drive, with a motor on each axle, which removes any chance of lifting just one end. And EVs are heavy for their size because of the battery, so the truck and the tie-down points matter. The answer in almost every case is a flatbed.
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Call nowRead the manual before the truck arrives
Every EV maker publishes towing instructions, usually in the owner's manual and often in the car's on-screen manual or app. They cover how to put the car into a mode that lets it roll for loading, where the approved tie-down or towing points are, and what to do if the 12-volt battery is dead. The details differ from one model to the next, so use the instructions for your exact car rather than general advice.
If you can, have the manual open when the driver arrives. Our drivers load EVs regularly, but your manual is the final word on your car.
Most EVs still have a small 12-volt battery that runs the locks, screens and computers. If it dies, the car may not unlock, power on or release its parking brake, even with a full main battery. In that case the car may need a jump on its 12-volt system before it can be shifted for loading, or it may need to be winched onto the deck with skates under the wheels. The manual explains where the 12-volt connection points are. A jump start tech can bring the 12-volt system back if that is all that is wrong.
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Call nowLoading and unloading an EV
Many EVs sit low and carry a heavy battery pack under the floor, so the angle of the deck and where anything touches the car both matter. The driver uses the tie-down or towing points the manufacturer specifies and keeps lifting equipment away from the battery pack. If the car can roll in its tow or transport mode, it is winched up gently; if it cannot, wheel skates go under the tires so the car slides onto the deck without its wheels turning.
Some EVs use a screw-in towing eye that lives with the spare tire kit or in the front trunk. If your car has one, find it before the truck arrives. At the destination, the car is unloaded the same careful way and parked where you want it. If it is going to a charger, make sure there is a spot the car can be left in, and tell the dispatcher if the charger is in a garage with a height limit.
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Call nowRunning out of charge
We bring gasoline and diesel, not electricity. If an EV runs out of charge, the fix is a flatbed tow to the nearest charger that suits your car, or to your home if you charge there. Tell the dispatcher what kind of charger you need and we can take the car to a location you choose. Because a tow is priced as a flat hook fee plus a per-mile rate, a nearby fast charger is usually the least expensive destination.
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Call nowAfter a crash
A damaged EV battery can be a hazard even after the crash is over. If you see smoke, smell something unusual, or hear hissing or popping from under the car, move away and call 911. Tell the responders and the dispatcher it is an electric vehicle. When an EV with crash damage is towed, it should go to a shop that is equipped to work on EVs; your insurer or dealer can tell you which shops qualify. Our accident towing page explains how to keep control of where the car goes.
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Call nowWhat to tell the dispatcher
Year, make and model. Whether the car will power on. Whether it will shift into neutral or a tow mode. Whether the 12-volt battery seems dead. Where the car is, and where it should go. With those answers the right truck and equipment are sent the first time. Call (908) 444-0129 for a quote before the truck rolls.
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Call nowMore on vehicle types
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Motorcycle towing done right: what riders should expect
- Tip #26: An all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive car belongs on a flatbed
- Tip #27: Never let anyone tow an electric car with its drive wheels on the ground
- 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
Questions drivers ask about this
Short answers.
Can an electric car be towed with a wheel-lift?
Manufacturers generally say no. Rolling the drive wheels spins the motors, so EVs should ride on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground. Check the towing section of your owner's manual.
My EV is out of charge. Can you bring a charge?
No. We tow the car on a flatbed to the charger or the address you choose, quoted as a hook fee plus a per-mile rate.
Why will my EV not unlock or shift with a full battery?
Most EVs have a small 12-volt battery that runs the locks and computers. If it is dead, the car may not power up. Your manual shows how it is jump started.
Ask the dispatcher anything.
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