EV and hybrid recovery, flatbed only
Electric vehicle recovery in Birmingham
Most electric cars must never be towed with a wheel on the tarmac. Ring us and an EV goes on a flatbed, fully off the ground.
- Lines open now, 24/7, 365
- Insured and licensed operators
- Fixed price before we set off
Yes, we handle electric and hybrid vehicles. Electric vehicles go on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground, which is the only correct way to move most of them. That rule is not caution for its own sake. In most EVs the motor is connected straight to the wheels, so turning them with the car switched off can push current back through the drive system.
That is why an electric car is never lifted by one axle and dragged. A spec lift or a wheel lift leaves two wheels rolling, and for most EVs that is exactly what the manufacturer says not to do. If the dispatcher hears the word electric, the job is planned around a flatbed from the first minute.
Tell us the model when you ring. Some EVs have a transport or tow mode that releases the parking lock, and some need the 12V battery alive before the car will let the wheels turn at all. If the 12V has died, the car can sit locked in park with a full traction battery, and the driver will bring the kit to deal with that before loading.
Hybrids follow the same thinking. A hybrid has a smaller 12V auxiliary battery that fails much like a normal car battery, and the manufacturer jump procedure is followed for your model. Where a jump does not bring the car back, it is recovered on the bed rather than towed.
Running out of charge is the most common EV call. If the car has stopped with a flat traction battery, the usual answer is to take it to a charger or home rather than try to push it. Our guide to an EV out of charge covers what to do while you wait, and the safety guide explains how electric vehicles are loaded properly.
Accident damage on an electric car needs extra care. Do not sit in a car whose battery area has been struck, and tell the dispatcher about any smell, hissing or smoke. The vehicle can go to a repairer, your home or storage while the insurer decides what happens next.
The price is fixed on the call, the same as every other recovery we do. An EV is not charged more because of the badge on the front. What changes the figure is distance, access and whether the car will release its wheels.
Low slung electric saloons and heavy SUVs both load on the same flatbed with soft straps around the wheels, never through the body. Nothing is attached to a battery housing or underbody panel.
What happens when you ring
- 1You ring and tell us it is electric or hybrid, plus the make and model.
- 2The dispatcher checks whether the 12V battery still has power.
- 3You receive a price and an ETA before a flatbed is sent.
- 4The driver sets the car to its transport mode and straps it by the wheels.
- 5The car goes to a charger, your home, a dealer or storage.
What we need from you
- Make, model and year
- Charge level showing, if any
- Whether the screen still lights up
- Whether it will go into neutral
- Any accident damage underneath
- Where the car needs to go
Where we cover
Birmingham, Oldbury, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Smethwick, West Bromwich, Solihull, Sandwell.
Questions people ask
- Can electric cars be towed?
- Most should not be towed with any wheels on the ground. We move them on a flatbed with all four wheels off the road.
- My EV has run out of charge, can you help?
- Yes. The car is loaded onto a flatbed and taken to a charger, your home or wherever you choose.
- Do you handle hybrids too?
- Yes. A dead 12V auxiliary battery can often be jumped using the manufacturer procedure. If that fails, the car goes on the bed.
- Does EV recovery cost more?
- The price is agreed on the call before we set off. It depends on distance and access, not on whether the car is electric.
- Is EV recovery available at night?
- Yes. Lines are open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Electric car stranded?
Ring the dispatcher with the model and location and a flatbed is assigned.