More Dublin drivers have an electric car every year, and most never think about what happens if it needs a tow. Here is the short version: wheels off the road, and tell the recovery company everything you can.
Why wheels off the road
In many electric cars the motor is connected to the wheels all the time. If the car is pulled along with those wheels turning, the motor can act like a generator, which can damage parts of the drive system. That is why most handbooks tell you to move the car on a flatbed, with all four wheels on the deck. Your handbook has the final word for your model.
What to tell us when you ring
- The make, model and year
- Fully electric or hybrid
- Whether the car will go into neutral, or the wheels are locked
- Whether the screens come on at all
- Any warning messages, and whether there has been a collision
- Where it is, and where you want it taken, ideally as two Eircodes
The small battery that stops big cars
Alongside the big traction battery sits a modest 12V one. It powers the door locks, the screens and the electronics that bring the car to life. When that little battery dies, an EV with a full charge can stay locked and dark. Tell us if that is what you are seeing.
What not to do yourself
- Do not let anyone tow the car on a rope or bar unless the handbook says it is allowed
- Do not try to push the car if the wheels are locked
- After a crash, do not touch or open anything near the battery. If there is smoke, a burning smell or a hissing sound, move everyone well away and call 112
Where it can go
Home, your dealer, a garage or a charger. You choose. A standard call-out with us starts from €150, plus €2 per km depending on the destination, agreed on the phone before the truck moves.
More on our electric car towing page, or ring 087 116 1102.