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Towing an Electric Car- What You Need to Know

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Home  |  Auto Shipping • Car Carriers • Car News • Car Shipping • Car Transport   |   Towing an Electric Car- What You Need to Know

If you own an electric vehicle, you may be wondering if it can be towed. Whether you just want to be prepared in case your car breaks down or you are looking for a way to move it a long-distance, it’s important to know the ins and outs of towing your electric car. While it is certainly possible to tow electric cars, they are not towed like a traditional combustion engine. Electric cars are equipped with onboard electronics and motors that are installed to turn the wheels, and this can make the towing process a bit more complicated. It is best that you are aware of exactly how to tow your electric vehicle.

Why Might You Need to Tow You Electric Vehicle

While EV’s are certainly reliable cars, they are not immune to the occasional malfunction. As with any car, things can and do go wrong from time to time so you need to be prepared for the unexpected. For example, you may encounter a flat tire, a dead battery, brake issues, or even a factory defect. You may also find yourself in need of towing if you plan to move to another state.

Start with a Charge

If the reason you are having your car towed is because the battery ran out, it is best to try and charge it rather than tow it. Instead of towing it to a charging station, check with the towing company to see if they have a charging truck that can be delivered to your vehicle. Charging trucks can be a good alternative to towing if you are dealing with a dead battery.

Towing Your Electric Car

Any car, whether it be gas-powered or electric, can suffer major damage if it is towed incorrectly. Electric vehicles are equipped with computers on the tires, batteries, and sensors, so a number of things can go wrong if it is not towed properly. Unlike gas-powered vehicles, most EV’s do not have a neutral gear, so the wheel movement is generating power to a battery that isn’t turned on. In order to fully eliminate wheel movement, it is recommended that you always tow your EV on a flatbed truck in order to avoid potentially catastrophic damage to your vehicle. In most cases, all four wheels should be off the ground and not in movement unless the car is being driven. When loading your EV onto a flatbed, be sure to check the specific vehicle’s manual to locate where the tow chains can be safely and securely attached to your vehicle.

Safely Transport Your Electric Car

Purchasing an electric vehicle is a big financial investment, so you want to learn about proper care and maintenance. This includes knowing the basics about towing your EV. If you are moving or transporting your EV a long distance, it is always recommended that you work with a professional auto shipping company to safely transport your electric vehicle. This will ensure you protect your vehicle and your investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Honest Answers to Your Car Shipping Questions

Yes, we always ask for your specific pickup and delivery addresses, if the carrier can get right to the addresses you provide, they will. If the addresses that you give us are not safely accessible for a Multi-car carrier, however, you will need to make arrangements with the driver to meet at a nearby location where the carrier can safely get in and out.

People do it all the time (rarely for free) but the official answer is no.

Not what you wanted to hear, we know, but that is the honest answer.

We are not licensed to broker the shipment of household goods and, likewise, no car carrier that operates in the USA is licensed to transport them from state to state either. Despite what you might be being told by other car shipping companies you may speak with.

Remember, at the end of the day we're all salespeople, and the true answer to this question is not a great selling point.

You will hear a lot of companies tell you that you can put up to 100 pounds of items in the trunk, but that is not entirely true. That fact is that items of that amount are fairly common and the department of transportation is probably not going to split hairs and fine the trucker over items of that amount, provided they are not over their weight limit. They could fine them, however, if they see a vehicle stuffed full of personal items so the car carrier will most likely try to negotiate something with you to cover themselves against any costs they could incur. It's not something we can build into your contract though.

We have a short and helpful video on this topic in our user videos.

Only in rare cases and car carriers will usually charge a premium to make it happen.

All dates given by car carriers are typically estimates and projections.

For this reason (and to keep your cost down) we ask that you build in some flexibility and give us the earliest possible date you would be WILLING to release the vehicle, even though it may not be your preferred date.

We'll put you in direct contact with your car carrier and the driver will also typically call you the afternoon or evening before your pick up and delivery (they won't just show up unannounced, and if they do we want to hear about it). However, car carriers are out on the road battling traffic, weather and any number of other factors that can and do throw them off of their pickup and delivery projections from time to time.

If the projected dates we give you come and you are unable to make contact with your carrier, please call our office immediately so that we may help resolve the situation.

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will average 7 to 10 days. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

Yes!

Even better, we do not even ask for payment until we have you confirmed for pickup by a safe, reliable, fully insured, direct car carrier. If for any reason you do not ship your car with the carrier that we arrange for you, there is no fee.

The fees paid directly to the carrier however, (in most cases, their fees are not paid until your vehicle is delivered) are not directly controlled by us, so any requests for a refund of the carrier's portion would need to be addressed with the carrier directly.

Of course! And you are always backed by our Damage Free Guarantee policy.

Part of what you pay us for is to verify that the car carrier that we put you on is covered by the proper amount of insurance and that everything is up to date.

There is never any additional cost to you for this coverage, and their insurance is always primary.

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