- +44 7867 860723
- dkrecovery786@gmail.com
- Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Electric Vehicle Recovery in Sheffield
An electric car that has stopped goes on a flatbed. Not on a rope, not on a dolly, not with two wheels down. Turning the driven wheels turns the motor, and on most EVs that means generating current into a system that is not expecting it.
DK's Recovery covers Sheffield and South Yorkshire 24 hours a day, for EVs and hybrids, whether the problem is a fault, a flat 12 volt battery or simply running out of charge.
Why an EV cannot be towed on its wheels
This is the part that catches people out, including some drivers who have owned an EV for years.
The motor is connected to the wheels
On a conventional car you can sometimes get away with a rope and a bit of care. On an EV the drive motor is directly coupled to the driven wheels, so rolling the car turns the motor, and a turning motor generates current. Manufacturers are near-unanimous: transport with all four wheels off the ground. Some models allow a very short, very slow move in a specific mode, and that is for shunting a car a few metres, not for getting it home.
Neutral is not the answer
Putting an EV in neutral disengages the parking pawl so it can roll, which is useful for pushing it out of a bay. It does not disconnect the motor from the wheels. Rolling it in neutral behind a truck is exactly the thing to avoid.
Hybrids are the same problem
A hybrid has the same coupling on whichever axle the electric motor drives, so it goes on a flatbed too. The one difference is that a hybrid has a conventional 12 volt battery that can go flat and be jump started like any other car — which is one of the more common calls we get.
The 12 volt battery is usually the culprit
Most EV no-starts are not the traction battery at all. Every EV has an ordinary 12 volt battery that runs the computers, the locks and the contactors, and if that dies the car will not wake up even with a full main battery. It can be jump started in the normal way, on the 12 volt battery only — never on the high voltage system. Our jump start service covers what we need to know before we come out.
Running out of charge and what happens next
Unlike a can of petrol, there is no roadside fix for an empty traction battery. What there is instead is a short list of decisions.
Where it needs to go
Usually the nearest working rapid charger rather than home, because a slow charger will not get you moving again tonight. Tell us where you were heading and we will talk through which charger makes sense. If you have a home charger and you are close enough, home is often the better answer.
What to tell us on the phone
Make, model and rough year. Whether the car has any charge at all or is completely flat. Whether the dashboard lights up. Whether it is in a car park, on a street, or at a charging bay. And whether the wheels turn freely, because a car with the parking pawl engaged and no power to release it has to be handled differently.
Charging bays are their own problem
A car stuck in a charging bay is blocking something other people need, which usually means it has to move first and be diagnosed second. Bays are also often tight, with bollards and cable posts around them, so the space matters as much as the fault. Our guide to electric car recovery in Sheffield goes into what that means in practice.
Damage and fire risk after a collision
A damaged EV is treated more cautiously than a damaged petrol car, and rightly. If there has been an impact to the underside or the battery pack, or there is any smell, smoke or hissing, everyone should be well clear and the fire service called before anybody thinks about recovery. That is not an upsell, it is the standing advice for damaged traction batteries.
Electric vehicle recovery questions
Can you tow my electric car on its wheels?
No, and nor should anyone else. The motor is coupled to the driven wheels, so rolling the car turns the motor. It goes on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground. That is the manufacturer's instruction on essentially every EV, not a preference of ours.
My EV will not start but the battery is charged. What is wrong?
Most often the 12 volt battery, which runs the computers and the contactors and is a perfectly ordinary car battery. If that dies the car will not wake up no matter how full the main battery is. It can be jump started in the usual way on the 12 volt battery only. Tell us the make and model when you call, because the 12 volt battery and its jump points sit in different places on different cars.
I have run out of charge. Can you bring me a charge?
No, and be sceptical of anyone who says they can meaningfully charge you at the roadside. What we do is move the car to a rapid charger that is actually working, or to your home charger if you are close enough. Tell us where you were heading and we will talk through which makes more sense.
Is a hybrid the same as a full EV for recovery?
For transport, yes. It goes on a flatbed for the same reason. The difference is that a hybrid also has a conventional 12 volt battery and a petrol engine, so it has more ways to fail and more of them are fixable at the roadside.
My EV is stuck in a charging bay and will not move. What now?
Tell us which bay and whether the wheels turn freely. A car that has lost power may have the parking pawl engaged with no way to release it electrically, which changes how it comes onto the bed. Charging bays are also often tight, with bollards and cable posts, so we need to know the space as well as the fault.
The car has been in a collision. Is there a fire risk?
There can be, and it is treated seriously. If there has been an impact to the underside or the battery pack, or you notice smoke, hissing or an unusual smell, get everyone well clear and call 999 before you call us. A damaged traction battery is not something to stand next to while you wait.
24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call 07867 860723