Flatbed EV recovery
All four wheels off the road, which is what almost every manufacturer requires.
Electric Car Recovery
Electric Car Recovery & Flatbed Transport
Out of charge, will not wake up, or stopped mid-journey? Electric cars have to travel on a flatbed. We recover EVs and hybrids through our service network, 24 hours a day.
Available 24/7
Fixed Price Before We Start
Fully Insured
24/7 AvailableDay or night
Fast DispatchNearest team
Fixed PriceBefore we start
Wide-AreaFlexible coverage
Quick Answer
SureWay recovers electric cars on a flatbed through our service network, 24 hours a day. An EV must not be towed with its driven wheels turning on the road, because that spins the motor as a generator and can damage the drive unit. Flatbed transport, with all four wheels off the road, is the method almost every manufacturer requires.
Service Detail
An electric car has to go on a flatbed. Here is why.
A conventional tow lifts one axle and lets the other roll along the road. On an electric car those rolling wheels are usually connected directly to the motor, and turning them makes the motor act as a generator. That pushes current back into a system that is not expecting it, and it can damage the drive unit or the inverter. Nearly every EV handbook says the same thing in different words: transport on a flatbed, with all four wheels clear of the road.
Important safety note
If you can see smoke, smell something sharp and chemical, hear hissing or popping from under the car, or the battery pack has been struck in a collision, get everyone well clear and call 999. A damaged traction battery can reignite hours after an incident. We will not move a vehicle showing those signs until the fire service has confirmed it is safe to do so.
- Real arrival time before dispatch
- Fixed price before work starts
- Recovery to your chosen destination when needed
Electric Car Recovery
24/7 support through our service network.
What's Included
Electric vehicle situations we handle
Every call starts with your location, vehicle condition, clear pricing and the safest next step.
Out of charge
Running flat between chargers, with transport to a working charge point or your destination.
Charge point failures
When the unit at the services or the car park will not deliver a charge.
EVs that will not wake
A flat 12V battery can leave the car unresponsive even with plenty left in the traction pack.
Hybrids and PHEVs
The same flatbed rule applies, because the drive wheels are still connected to a motor.
Post-collision EVs
Damaged electric vehicles moved once the scene has been made safe.
How It Works
A clear process from first call to safe delivery.
01
Tell us it is electric
Give us the make, model and roughly how much range is left.
02
Flatbed dispatched
We send a vehicle that can carry the car with all four wheels off the road.
03
Loaded and secured
The car goes onto the bed under its own power or by winch, then is strapped at the wheels rather than the body.
04
Moved with nothing rolling
No wheel turns on the road, so the motor is never back-driven.
05
Charged or delivered
To a working rapid charger, your home, or the garage you choose.
Coverage
Recovery through our service network.
SureWay provides car recovery, towing and roadside assistance for motorways, A-roads, city streets, town roads and rural routes.
Road Types
Where electric cars actually run out.
Range anxiety is rarely the problem. Running out usually happens because a charger was down, occupied, or further away than the car estimated.
Long motorway journeys
Long gaps between working rapid chargers can catch drivers out, especially when a planned charging stop is unavailable or the car uses more energy than expected in cold weather.
Charger queues at services
A working charger that is occupied is the same problem as a broken one when you have twelve miles of range left. If waiting is not realistic, we can move the car to a free unit or straight to your destination.
Workplace charging
Business parks and city-centre workplaces can have limited or fully occupied charging spaces. If waiting is not practical, we can recover the vehicle to a suitable charger or destination.
Cold mornings
A cold traction battery holds less usable charge and the car spends energy warming itself before it moves. A journey that was comfortable in September can fall short in January on the same route.
FAQ
Questions about electric car recovery.
No. A normal tow leaves one axle rolling on the road, and on an EV those wheels are usually connected to the motor. Turning them makes the motor generate current, which can damage the drive unit or inverter. Almost every manufacturer specifies flatbed transport instead.
A dolly is not a safe substitute on most electric cars. It lifts one axle but still leaves the other turning, which is exactly the situation the handbook warns against. Unless the manufacturer explicitly permits it for that model, we use a flatbed.
We load it on the flatbed and take it to the most useful destination: a working rapid charger, your home charge point, or your chosen drop-off point. Roadside charging is not practical for most vehicles, so moving the car to power is usually faster than bringing power to the car.
Yes. Full hybrids and plug-in hybrids still have a motor connected to the drive wheels, so the same rule applies. If in doubt we default to the flatbed, because it is safe for every drivetrain.
No, and it is a common mix-up. Electric cars still have a small 12V battery that runs the locks, screens and control systems. If it dies the car can seem completely dead even with a full traction battery. That is often fixable at the roadside.
Treat it as an emergency. Get clear of the vehicle and call 999. A damaged traction battery can go into thermal runaway and reignite long after the impact. We recover the vehicle once the fire service confirms the scene is safe, and we tell the receiving site that the pack has been damaged.
Related Services
Plan the right next step.
Use these internal links to find related recovery, towing and roadside help.
Broken down? Help is one call away.
Tell us where you are and we'll send the nearest recovery team with a clear arrival time and a fixed price before we start.