Electric Vehicles And Towing: Get Answers To The Questions You Have
Posted on: 23 March 2018
If you have an electric vehicle, you have to ensure the vehicle is charged before driving it. If the vehicle does not have a charge or enough of a charge, it can stop running, leaving you stranded. If this occurs to you, you may wonder if a tow truck is able to tow your electric vehicle. Here are a few of the questions you have and the answers to these questions.
Can An Electric Vehicle Be Towed?
All electric vehicles can be towed. However, not every electric vehicle can be towed with a hook and chain or wheel lift tow truck. Both of these types of tow trucks lift either the front or back of the car, leaving one set of wheels on the ground, dragging behind the rest of the car. The reason some electric vehicles cannot be towed in this manner is that not every electric vehicle can be put into neutral. Many electric vehicles do not have gears or gearboxes. If a vehicle cannot be put into neutral to be towed, the motor continues to spin or operate as the wheels are being drug. However, while the motor spins with the wheels turning, the cooling system for the car does not operate. Ultimately, this can cause a motor to overheat, causing substantial damage.
How Can You Tell Which Way an Electric Vehicle Can Be Towed?
Some electric vehicles have a gearbox. This allows a user to switch the car into neutral, thus allowing the car to safely be towed using a hook and chain or wheel lift tow truck. As a general rule of thumb, if the car is front wheel drive, it does have a gearbox. However, if you are in doubt, you should always check your owner's manual. It will let you know if the car can be switched into neutral, how it can be switched into neutral and the manner in which the vehicle can be towed. If the vehicle cannot be towed with a hook and chain or wheel lift tow truck, a flatbed will be needed to tow your car safely. A flatbed ensures the wheels are not spinning on the ground, thus ensuring the motor is not spinning.
If you are new to the world of electric cars, you may be learning new things about the car as you go. One of the things you may learn as you go has to do with towing. If your electric vehicle breaks down, it is important that you know what type of tow truck your electric vehicle needs, so you can ask a towing service to supply you with the right type. Taking a look at your owner's manual will help you determine how to tow your car, so no additional damage is done to the motor. If you are in doubt, all types of electric vehicles can be towed with a flatbed tow truck.
For more information, contact your local towing services today.
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