The towing industry changed the day EVs became mainstream. Every electric vehicle — Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, BMW i-series, VW ID-series, every one — needs flatbed transport, always. Here’s what you need to know before your EV gets a tow.

Why you can’t wheel-lift an EV

In a gas car with automatic transmission, the driveshaft and transmission let the wheels spin freely when you shift to neutral. A wheel-lift raises two wheels; the other two roll on the road with no internal drivetrain drag.

An EV doesn’t work that way.

The drive motors in every EV are permanently connected to the wheels through a single-speed reduction gearbox. When the wheels roll, the motor spins. There is no clutch, no neutral, nothing to disconnect the motor from the wheels.

When a motor spins without the car’s computer managing it, two bad things happen:

  1. The motor generates electricity. That regenerated voltage has nowhere to go — the inverter isn’t awake to manage it. The voltage can damage the motor windings, the inverter, and the battery management system.
  2. The gearbox dry-runs without proper cooling. The drive motor has no standalone oil pump; cooling depends on the main traction loop being active. Dry-running at freeway speed for miles damages the gearbox internals.

Cost to fix either one: $8,000–$18,000. Not covered under any warranty because the damage came from an improper tow, not a defect.

Don’t do it. Always flatbed.

Why dollies and tow bars don’t work either

Some towing companies try to work around it with a wheel dolly (puts both drive wheels on a small rolling platform). That “works” only as long as the dolly stays in perfect alignment and moves at low speed. Any significant mileage still damages the drivetrain.

Tow bars (where the EV’s front or rear hitch is attached to the back of a motorhome, for example) never work on EVs. The wheels are all on the ground; the motors still spin; the damage happens.

The only safe method: flatbed with all four wheels off the ground.

Transport mode — and why you need it

Most EVs have a parking pawl built into the drive unit. When the car is in Park, a small steel pin locks a gear inside the drivetrain, preventing the car from rolling. Great for parking on hills; a problem for loading onto a flatbed.

Before the car can roll onto the flatbed deck, the parking pawl must disengage.

Tesla transport mode (current steps):

  1. Press the brake pedal.
  2. Put the vehicle in Neutral.
  3. Hold the brake for at least 5 seconds until the “Transport Mode” notification appears.
  4. The car will roll freely for up to 15 minutes of transport at under 30 mph.

(Instructions may vary slightly by software version — check your in-car manual or owner’s manual.)

Rivian, Lucid, Mustang Mach-E, and most modern EVs have similar procedures but with model-specific menu paths. Your tow driver should know how to do this on common models; for new or unusual EVs, your owner’s manual is the authority.

If the 12V battery is dead, transport mode may not engage. Procedures exist for this: most EVs have an external 12V jump terminal behind a cover in the frunk or engine bay. A portable jump pack can wake the electronics long enough to set transport mode, then the car loads normally.

The load procedure

A proper EV flatbed load follows these steps:

  1. Driver confirms the vehicle is EV and asks about battery state (dead, low, normal).
  2. If needed, 12V jump to wake the electronics.
  3. Owner or driver engages transport mode per the specific procedure for that vehicle.
  4. Flatbed deck tilted to ground level, approach ramp deployed.
  5. Winch cable attaches to the vehicle’s tow point (every EV has one — usually a threaded hook that screws into the front or rear bumper).
  6. Vehicle is winched onto the flatbed deck at slow speed.
  7. All four wheels secured with soft-strap wheel nets — never chains, never frame hooks.
  8. Driver takes photos of the load point, strap positions, and vehicle condition.
  9. Transport mode can be exited once the car is fully loaded and secured.

Loading time: 10–15 minutes for a straightforward EV load; 20–30 for a complicated scenario (dead 12V, tight location, damaged car).

What goes wrong and how to avoid it

Scenario 1: Dead 12V battery, vehicle won’t shift to neutral. Fix: portable jump pack on the 12V terminals. Every reputable EV tow driver carries one.

Scenario 2: Car is locked, no key fob available. Fix: most EVs have manual key access (hidden slot for a physical key). For Teslas specifically, the phone key can unlock; failing that, the front door handle has a manual release. Tell dispatch the scenario — they can often unlock remotely through the owner’s app.

Scenario 3: Damaged wheel or suspension prevents normal rolling. Fix: wheel-net tow dolly under the damaged wheel; winch onto flatbed at very low speed; careful rigging. Takes longer but safely possible.

Scenario 4: Vehicle partially submerged (flooded). Fix: do not start transport mode or any electrical wakeup. Water in battery compartments is a fire risk for days. Move the vehicle by dead-lift winch only; keep it outdoors away from structures; notify the owner about deferred electrical inspection before any shop work.

Pricing impact

EV flatbed tows typically run $115–$175 local in San Diego, vs. $95 for a wheel-lift tow of a standard sedan. The $20–$80 premium reflects specialty equipment and slower, more careful loading.

Some companies try to charge “EV surcharges” of $100+ on top of normal flatbed rates. That’s gouging. An EV flatbed is just a standard flatbed load — slightly slower procedure but same equipment.

What to tell the dispatcher

When you call for a tow on an EV:

  1. “It’s an EV” — first sentence. Nothing else matters until they know.
  2. Year, make, model (Tesla Model 3, Rivian R1S, etc.)
  3. Battery state (dead, low, normal — if you can tell)
  4. Location and destination
  5. Any damage (wheel, suspension, body)

A good dispatcher routes the right low-clearance flatbed, assigns a driver who knows EV procedures, and confirms the equipment on the phone.

Bottom line

No EV should ever be towed with wheels on the ground. Flatbed, soft straps, transport mode engaged. Any other method damages the vehicle in ways the warranty doesn’t cover.

Our drivers are trained on every major EV — Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, VW. Call (619) 714-6300 and tell us what you’re driving.