Electric cars are more popular than ever before in America, however, they sometimes experience the same levels of vehicle breakdowns as regular vehicles. Chicago towing provides professional Roadside Assistance service for electric vehicles located anywhere in the Chicagoland area. In this blog entry, our accident recovery experts will provide you a brief guide to the basics of towing your electric vehicle.
Why do electric or hybrid vehicles need to get towed sometimes?
There can be a range of causes for an electric or hybrid vehicle breakdown. Some of these include flat tires or mechanical component breakdowns. In other situations, electric or hybrid vehicles may have run out of electric charge, or physical fuel may have not been filled into the car due to forgetfulness.
Electric hybrid car batteries need special service
It’s very important to consider that electric cars can experience fires when lithium ion batteries are damaged, exposed to extreme heat, or cold, or handled without care during the towing process. When towing electric or hybrid vehicles, it’s very important to tell them very slowly and carefully. Essentially, lithium batteries have been regulated as hazardous materials to transport, due to their capacity to cause electric, combustible, or corrosive accidents. Make sure that the Towing team you work with understands the proper procedures for towing in an electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle.
Charging your battery before the Towing service
We recommend fully charging your battery before the towing service. You might not know where the next recharging station is. If your towing service has a charger truck available, we recommend charging it before the towing begins, or even during the towing, if that’s a possibility.
What is the best type of truck for towing an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle?
It’s a good idea to utilize a flatbed truck for towing your electric or hybrid vehicle, as they greatly reduce roll off risk. They are also ideal for protecting the drive motor of electric or hybrid vehicles, which is a very sensitive component that is constantly engaged in electric hybrid vehicles, and can easily be damaged. Four-wheel-drive, electric, or hybrid vehicles might have regenerative braking technology on their rare wheels, which is a function that helps to recharge the battery as the wheels turn, as well as providing braking for us. This would make the towing process very difficult, and very dangerous to attempt with a hook and chain wheel lift towing vehicle. Hook and chain trucks could also potentially puncture the electric battery of the vehicle which is incredibly dangerous. Use flatbed, towing or special car carriers for towing electric or hybrid vehicles. You need to be careful to avoid damaging your electric oil pumps, your internal car, gears, and avoiding any particular lubricant issues that can be caused when electric or hybrid vehicles are towed at an angle.
