How to tow an electric car after a breakdown, and can it tow a trailer? (2026)

CRAVEUO EV Export · Sources last checked 2026-11-01 · General information, not safety advice. Your owner's manual comes first. Nothing here is a promise or a quote.

Quick answer

Move a broken-down electric car on a flatbed truck, with its wheels off the ground. Do not tow it on a rope or chain, and do not drag it with drive wheels on the road, because that can damage high-voltage parts. Tell the operator it is electric before they come. Pulling a trailer is a separate question: some EVs may not do it at all, and a large caravan can roughly halve the range.

What makers say

Your manual decides, because the driven wheels differ from car to car. An AWD car drives both axles, so no wheels can stay down.

NRMA, the Australian motoring club, also says flat towing is not recommended for EVs, because regenerative braking can recharge the battery and may cause harm. It says dolly wheels should be used when loading.

What to do at the roadside

1. Stop somewhere safe. Hazard lights on, and everyone out of the traffic.
2. Check the problem. If you simply ran out of charge, ask your assistance provider about a mobile charge. NRMA has mobile charging trucks in Sydney and Canberra, and otherwise tows to the nearest charger, depending on membership. Availability varies by country.
3. Call for a flatbed. Say it is electric, and give the model and whether it is front, rear or all-wheel drive.
4. Have the manual ready. Show the driver the towing page. Tow operators in some countries may not have moved your model before.
5. Prepare the car for loading. Follow your manual to put the car in neutral. On one Kia, you must press the brake, release the parking brake and wait three minutes before opening the driver's door, or the front wheels lock.
6. If the car will not leave Park, tell the operator. They may need dollies. Ask before they pull it.

After a crash, fire or flood

Be more careful here. Damaged batteries can be dangerous.

• After a fire. Kia says to contact the fire department before towing, because of the risk of a second fire.
• After a collision. NRMA says to stand at least 30 metres away, citing Fire and Rescue NSW, and to have your insurer arrange the tow, making sure the driver knows the car is electric.
• After a flood. See our flood guide.

The tow hook

The Atto 3 has a screw-in tow hook. BYD says using it is not recommended (printed p. 183), and that only the in-vehicle hook may be used. Don't use it to pull the car along a road unless your manual allows it.

Can an electric car tow a trailer?

It depends on the model, so check the manual and the registration papers for a towing limit.

• Some cars must not. BYD says the Atto 3 is designed to carry passengers (printed p. 96) and should not be used to tow other vehicles. It adds that damage from commercial towing has no free warranty. The manual calls frequent trailer use a severe condition (printed p. 159).
• Some are built for it. Pickups are one example. See our electric pickup comparison, and confirm the limit for your exact version.

How much range towing costs

The clearest test we found is ADAC's, reported by ecomento in August 2022, on a Kia EV6:

The report points to air resistance as the main cause, more than weight. So a tall caravan costs far more than a heavy load inside the car, and slower driving helps. This is one test of one car.