Not every car can be towed the traditional way. Automatics and electric vehicles have drivetrains that can be damaged if they’re towed incorrectly – so if you drive one, it’s worth knowing how they should be recovered before you ever break down.

Can you tow an automatic car?

You have to be careful. Many automatic cars should not be towed with their driven wheels on the road, because turning the wheels without the engine running can starve the gearbox of lubrication and cause expensive damage. The safe method for most automatics is flatbed recovery, where the whole car is lifted onto the truck and nothing is dragged along the road.

Some automatics can be towed short distances under specific conditions set out in the handbook, but the risk isn’t worth it. A professional recovery operator will use a flatbed or the correct dollies to protect your gearbox.

Can you tow an electric car?

Electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids should almost always be recovered on a flatbed. Here’s why:

Regenerative braking – turning the wheels of an EV can feed current back into the system, which can cause problems if the car isn’t set up for it.
No neutral in the usual sense – many EVs don’t have a conventional neutral that fully disconnects the motor.
Protecting the drivetrain and battery – lifting the whole car avoids any strain on the motor or high-voltage system.

The golden rule: an EV or hybrid should go on a flatbed, wheels off the ground. A recovery firm that knows EVs will do this automatically.

What about 4x4s and all-wheel-drive cars?

Permanent four-wheel-drive vehicles usually need all four wheels off the ground too – a flatbed, or a flatbed plus dollies. Towing a 4×4 on two wheels can damage the transmission.

How K9 handles it

We recover automatics, electric vehicles, hybrids and 4x4s the correct way, with flatbed transport to protect your drivetrain. When you call, tell us the make, model and whether it’s automatic or electric, and we’ll bring the right equipment. See our breakdown recovery and vehicle transport services for more.

Automatic or electric car in trouble? Call 07301 118118 – we’ll recover it the right way.