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Keeping a damaged EV safe until it’s picked up
Most crashed EVs sit quietly and cause no trouble. A small number don't, and a damaged lithium-ion battery can act up hours or even days after the crash. These are the precautions that matter while the car waits.
- Based on NHTSA guidance and automaker transport instructions
- For crashed, flooded and fire-damaged EVs and hybrids
- If anything looks wrong right now, call 911
If you see any of these, get away and call 911
- Smoke or steam from under the car
- Hissing, popping, crackling or bubbling sounds
- A sharp or sweet chemical smell
- Sparks, or heat coming up through the floor
Tell the dispatcher it's an electric vehicle.
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Where to park it
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's guidance for owners is that a severely damaged vehicle with a lithium-ion battery should not be stored inside a building, or within 50 feet (about 15 metres) of a building, another vehicle or anything that burns.
On a city lot that's hard to manage exactly. Do what you reasonably can:
- Keep it out of the garage and, if at all possible, out of underground parkades.
- Put it at the far end of the driveway or in an open spot, away from the house and other cars.
- Don't cover it with a tarp or park it against a fence or hedge.
- Tell your strata or building manager if it's in a shared parkade.
Don't charge it
After a crash, a flood or any battery warning, don't plug the car in until a qualified shop has looked at it. Charging a damaged pack is one of the ways a problem starts.
Flooded EVs
Don't try to start or power on an EV that's been sitting in water. Salt water is worse than fresh, and problems can appear days later. Keep it outside, away from buildings, and arrange for it to be moved.
Fires can come back
US accident investigators have found that EV battery fires can reignite in storage after they seem to be out. If your car has already had a fire, treat it as a risk until it's gone, and keep people and other cars well away from it.
How a damaged EV should be towed
On a flatbed, with all four wheels off the road. Automakers like Tesla say so plainly in their transport instructions. Towing an EV with its drive wheels on the ground spins the motor, which can damage it, and with a damaged car it's simply a bad idea.
To roll onto the deck, most EVs need transport or tow mode, and that needs 12-volt power and the key. If the car shows any sign of battery trouble, it shouldn't be powered on at all, and it goes on with wheel skates and a winch instead.
If you're booking any tow, say clearly that it's an EV and it needs a flatbed.
Before pickup, have ready
- Keys, key cards or the phone key
- Where the car is and how to reach it
- Parkade clearance height and gate access
- Registration and photo ID for every owner
- Anything you noticed: smells, sounds, warnings
Don't try to fix the battery yourself
Don't disconnect, open or remove the high-voltage battery. The orange cables and the pack carry several hundred volts. Leave the car as it is and let trained people handle it.
When you're ready to sell, see selling a damaged EV, or read the repair, claim or sell guide if you're still deciding.
Sources: NHTSA, Interim Guidance for Electric and Hybrid-Electric Vehicles Equipped With High-Voltage Batteries (owners); Tesla Model 3 owner's manual, Instructions for Transporters.
Questions about damaged EV safety
How far from my house should a crashed EV be parked?
NHTSA's guidance for a severely damaged vehicle with a lithium-ion battery is at least 50 feet, about 15 metres, from buildings and other vehicles, and never inside. Get as close to that as you safely can.
Can a damaged EV catch fire days later?
It's rare, but yes. Damaged lithium-ion cells can heat up well after the crash, and battery fires can reignite after they seem to be out.
Should I disconnect the battery?
No. Don't try to disconnect or remove the high-voltage battery. Leave the car as it is for trained people to handle.
Is it OK to keep it in my building's parkade until pickup?
If the battery may be damaged, it's better out of the parkade. Talk to your strata or building manager and call us so we can move it quickly.
Next steps
Want it gone this week?
Call with the year, model and what happened. We'll ask a few questions about the battery and where it's parked, then give you a number.