Electric Car & EV Recovery
Flatbed only. For an EV there isn't another safe way.
Every electric car we move goes on the bed with all four wheels off the road. That isn't a preference, it's the only way to move most EVs without pushing current back through a system that's switched off. Out of charge, broken down, or damaged — the answer is the same truck.
Exactly what you'd expect — done well.
We keep it simple: modern kit, an experienced operator, and honest pricing. Here's what this service covers.
- Flatbed recovery for all EVs and hybrids
- Out-of-charge callouts
- Recovery to dealer, specialist or home
- Damaged vehicles handled cautiously
Common situations
Simple. Quick. No fuss.
Tell us it's electric
Say so on the call. It rules out several things immediately and rules in the flatbed.
We come with the right kit
Skates if it won't roll or won't release, and the bed dropped ready.
Delivered to a charger or a specialist
Home, a rapid, a dealer or an EV specialist — whichever is actually useful.
Why an EV goes on the bed
On a petrol car, towing with two wheels turning is bad for the gearbox. On an electric car it's bad for the electrics, and the reasoning is different.
An electric motor spun by its wheels becomes a generator. Roll an EV along with its driven wheels on the road and it starts producing current, which then has nowhere sensible to go because the car is switched off. Depending on the vehicle that ranges from harmless to expensive, and manufacturers are near-unanimous that you simply shouldn't do it.
The flatbed makes the question disappear. All four wheels are off the ground, nothing turns, nothing generates, and an EV travels exactly like any other car.
Out of charge is not the same as broken
A good share of EV callouts are simply an empty battery, and it's worth saying that nobody should be embarrassed about it. Rapid chargers are out of service more often than the apps admit, and a diverted route in cold weather eats range faster than most people expect.
Practically it's a recovery job like any other, with one difference: where we take you matters more. There's no point recovering a flat EV to a home without a charger, or to a rapid that's already showing as down.
So when you ring, tell us what you were heading for and how far you got. Between us we'll work out somewhere that will actually put charge in it, rather than somewhere that just moves the problem.
Damaged batteries, and what we won't do
This is the part worth being plain about.
A high-voltage battery that has been physically damaged is not the same risk as a dented petrol car. Damaged cells can heat up slowly and without much warning, sometimes hours after the impact, and once that starts it isn't something anyone puts out with a fire extinguisher.
So if there's heat coming off the pack, smoke, a hissing or crackling noise, or an unusual sweet chemical smell, get everybody well clear and ring 999 first. That's not us avoiding the job — it's the correct order to do things in, and any recovery operator telling you otherwise is one to avoid.
Where the vehicle is intact and the battery isn't compromised, a damaged EV is an ordinary flatbed recovery and we'll take it to your dealer, an EV specialist or a bodyshop that's equipped for it.
About this service
Can an electric car be towed?
Not conventionally. The motors on a driven axle act as generators when the wheels turn, feeding current back into a system that's switched off and not expecting it. It goes on the flatbed with all four wheels clear of the road.
I've run out of charge — can you help?
Yes, and it's a routine callout. We'll recover you to a working charger, to home, or to wherever is genuinely most useful. It's worth telling us how much range you had left, because it affects where's realistic.
My EV won't select neutral. Does that matter?
It's common — plenty of EVs won't release the parking pawl once they've lost power. Mention it when you ring so we bring skates. It's not a problem, it just changes how the car gets onto the bed.
Can you recover a damaged electric car?
We can, with care. A damaged high-voltage battery is a genuinely different proposition from a damaged petrol car, and if there's any sign of heat, smoke or a smell from the battery pack that's a 999 call before it's a recovery call.
Do you charge more for EV recovery?
No — it's the same flatbed and the same job. Ring with both postcodes for a firm figure, or see our recovery and towing prices page.
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