Electric cars break down too — but can you tow them?

BERLIN: If electric cars and hybrids break down, they should only be towed away by a specialist vehicle, according to experts.

This also applies to combustion-engined cars that have an automatic transmission.

If you tow an electric car or hybrid yourself using a rope or strap tied to another vehicle, the high-voltage system or the automatic transmission can be damaged, say the road safety experts at Auto Club Europa (ACE).

That’s because the motors connected to the wheels will spin and generate electricity, which could cause problems for the electronics or battery.

Professional towing services lift the wheels of electric cars, hybrids and cars with automatic transmissions when they’re towing them. For cars with manual transmissions it’s usually safe to tow them with an ordinary vehicle.

The ACE experts suggest you consult the operating manual of the car to find out whether or not the vehicle can be towed.

Fortunately, electric cars are generally less likely to break down than cars with combustion engines, ACE says. One reason is that they’re newer and they also generally have fewer components, so there’s less that can potentially go wrong.