Why an EV cannot be roll towed
On a petrol or diesel car the wheels can spin freely when the engine is off because there is a clutch or a torque converter between the wheels and the driveline. Pull it onto a wheel lift, leave the driven wheels on the ground, and the engine sits there happily disconnected. On an electric vehicle there is no clutch. The motor is mechanically tied to the driven axle through a single speed reduction gearbox, which means the moment those wheels rotate they spin the motor.
A spinning motor on a stationary EV does two unpleasant things. It generates current that the battery management system was not expecting and it forces oil and coolant flow into circuits the car has not commanded. Manufacturers including Tesla, BYD, Polestar, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan and Volvo all explicitly state in their owner's manuals that the vehicle must be transported on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground. Ignoring that voids the warranty and on the worst case can cook the motor or the inverter.
What goes wrong when an EV is towed the wrong way
The most common damage from incorrect EV towing is to the drive unit itself. Regen braking depends on the inverter being able to manage current flow in both directions, and a wheel lift forcing the wheels to rotate at highway speed with the high voltage battery isolated puts the inverter in a state it was never designed for. We have seen drive units fail outright after being roll towed a single short distance.
Beyond the drive unit, the battery management system records the event. Tesla will flag the vehicle for incorrect handling, which can complicate insurance and warranty claims later. Other manufacturers issue diagnostic codes that need to be cleared at a dealer. None of this is theoretical. It is the same conversation every time a Tesla, Ioniq 5, EV6 or Atto 3 turns up on the back of a wheel lift instead of a flatbed.
Why flatbed is always the right answer
A flatbed truck lifts the entire vehicle off the road and onto a fully supported deck. The wheels never rotate during transport, the drivetrain stays still, the battery management system stays asleep, and the car travels in exactly the state the manufacturer designed for shipping. We use soft straps over the alloy wheels so there is no contact with the bodywork, and we load EVs at a controlled angle because most modern electric cars have low front splitters that scrape on a steep approach.
Every EV we transport at SS Towing goes onto the flatbed. There is no exception. Whether it is a 12 month old Model Y, an early Nissan Leaf, a Polestar 2 with a flat 12 volt battery, or a Volvo XC40 Recharge that has been parked for a year on a dead pack, the procedure is the same. Lift, secure, transport, unload.
EVs we see most often around Shepparton
The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are the most common electric vehicles on the Goulburn Valley Highway. Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 numbers are climbing fast, particularly among Shepparton commuters running down to Melbourne. The BYD Atto 3 has surged in regional Victoria over the last 18 months. The Nissan Leaf, including a healthy population of imported earlier models, still turns up regularly. We also see the Polestar 2, MG ZS EV, Volvo EX40, BMW iX, Mercedes EQA and the occasional Audi e-tron.
Plug in hybrids fall in the same bucket for towing. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Volvo XC60 Recharge and others have a powered axle the moment the high voltage battery has any charge, and the same flatbed rule applies. If in doubt, flatbed.
What to do if your EV runs flat on a Victorian road
Range anxiety is a real thing on the longer regional runs. The Goulburn Valley to Melbourne run is fine for almost every modern EV in one direction, but a round trip with hot weather, headwinds and a heavy load can catch out an older car. The Tesla Supercharger network covers Shepparton, Wodonga, Bendigo, Seymour and a string of Melbourne sites. Chargefox, Evie and the NRMA network fill in most of the gaps with regional fast chargers in towns like Echuca, Yarrawonga, Wangaratta, Benalla, Mansfield and Albury.
If your range is running close and you are not going to make a charger, pull over while you still have the ability to coast safely off the road. Call us with your make and model and a rough state of charge. We bring the flatbed, load the car gently because most EVs need to be in tow mode or have the parking brake released electronically to roll onto the deck, and transport you to the nearest compatible charger or your home. We will not push or roll start the car onto the bed.
What to tell the operator on the call
When you ring, tell us the make and model first because the procedure varies. A Tesla with a working 12 volt battery is straightforward. A Tesla with a dead 12 volt is a longer job because the door handles and the shifter both lose power. Most other EVs follow the same logic. If the car will not respond at all, mention it on the call so we bring the right gear.
Tell us whether you can release the parking brake. Some EVs can be put into transport mode through the screen, which disengages the brake for loading. If the screen is dead, we have alternative methods including pulling the high voltage disconnect and using rollers, but it adds time. Honest information on the call saves time on the kerb.
Range planning for regional EV drivers
If you live in the Goulburn Valley and drive an EV daily, plan around the Tesla Supercharger in Shepparton at McEwen Reserve and the Chargefox sites that sit on the Hume corridor. For Murray River trips, Echuca and Yarrawonga both have public chargers in the town centre. For Bendigo runs, the city has multiple options.
Carry a Type 2 to standard 10 amp plug for emergencies. A wall socket will only put 8 to 10 km of range per hour into most cars, but it can be the difference between getting moving in a few hours or waiting for the flatbed. And keep the contact details for a flatbed operator in your phone. EV breakdowns are still rare, but when they happen they need the right gear, not the closest gear.