Car breakdown: Can an electric car be towed normally?

Question from a “20 minutes” reader

Once upon a time, we walked through the thorns when the refuel warning sounded. In an electric vehicle, you can also stop with an empty battery or in the event of a breakdown. My colleagues say you can’t pull an electric car. Is this true and what should I pay attention to in the event of a breakdown?

Response from the UPSA team of experts*

Breaking down with an empty battery, of course, can get you in trouble, even in an electric car, and cost you money, just like in a combustion car. In 2020, the Federal Court, for example, imposed a fine of 1,500 francs on a driver who remained on the highway with an empty tank, for driving a vehicle that does not comply with safety rules and violating the highway code. So it’s better to recharge a little than to stop in the middle of an intersection or even a highway with a battery that is too empty.

If an electric car is no longer driving, it is unnecessary because its battery traction is too empty. The latter can also be given “juice” by a mobile charging station to continue driving to the charging station. As with combustion cars, it can happen that the starter battery of an electric car is empty while the traction battery is still charged. Since the high-voltage battery is activated by the starter battery – usually conventional lead-acid batteries – the electric vehicle can also be bridged in the event of an empty starter battery.

Now we move on to towing, if nothing happens – because electric cars can also have “normal” breakdowns in addition to an empty battery: because electric cars don’t have a mechanical clutch, they cannot be pushed, for example. Towing an electric vehicle can be tricky depending on the type of electric propulsion. The reason: in many electric vehicles, the rotating part of the electric motor (ie the rotor) is directly connected to the drive shafts and wheels through the automatic gearbox. Pulling can lead to overheating, insufficient lubrication of the gearbox as well as the inadvertent generation of induction voltage in the electric motor and high-voltage components, which should be absolutely avoided due to the cost consequential damage.

Normally and when the high voltage system is activated, this voltage generation is used in the form of energy recovery when braking or decelerating, but it can only cause damage in the event of breakdown or towing. This is why some manufacturers outright prohibit towing. Others allow it with restrictions. For example, an electric vehicle can only be towed at a maximum speed of 30 km/h and for a maximum distance of 30 kilometers. Therefore, it is always necessary to start by consulting the user manual to find out what the manufacturer recommends or prescribes.

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