Tips For Shipping An Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicle sales have been booming in recent years, signaling a massive change in the auto industry, as well as affiliated businesses like auto transport. Companies that had the foresight to see this trend emerging have taken steps to prepare for the changes that come along with it, but a lot of car shippers are still not properly equipped to handle the transport of electric and hybrid vehicles. In this post, we’ll dive into some of the details of shipping an EV, as well as things you should keep in mind when choosing an EV car shipper.

Why Ship an EV?

One of the first things you may ask is “Why would you ship an electric vehicle?” The answer is essentially the same as why anyone ships any type of vehicle, although EVs have even more reason to be shipped. The first answer is that shipping a vehicle is a convenient and easy way to transport it without the hassle of driving long hours for days at a time. Naturally, this limits your vehicle’s exposure to potential accidents, mechanical problems, and everything else that can go wrong on the road. Additionally, EVs have limited range, even if it does continue to improve over time as the technology develops. Along the same lines, there may be limited options for charging stations in some areas, which can present a real problem for long distance travel in an electric car, truck, or motorcycle.

Challenges of Transport EVs

Most of the challenges that come with shipping an EV are related to the battery. Batteries are very heavy and, as a result, EVs tend to be much heavier that gas-powered vehicles. Naturally, this means that transporting them can be more expensive since weight is a key factor in the cost of transport. However, a bigger concern is that not every company may be equipped to ship cars with an electric battery. Special licensing is required for shippers that transport cars with lithium-ion batteries, which makes up the vast majority of EVs currently on the road.

If you have plans to ship an electric vehicle, give us a call today at (888) 230-9116! We offer FREE shipping quotes for EVs of all types—just tell what type of vehicle you need shipped, where it is and where it’s headed, and we’ll give you an estimate! It’s that simple. All estimates are 100% FREE all the time and our staff are available every day of the week to help you with your EV transport needs! If you’d like to get started with a FREE quote right away, you can submit a request by filling out our online quote form!

Experience Matters

While the overall process of shipping an electric car is not much different than any other type of auto transport, the equipment, licensing, and expertise required are. If you’re considering shipping an EV with the help of an auto transport company, it is very important that they have experience, ideally plenty of it. If a newer company, or a company that’s just started shipping EVs is on your radar, keep in mind that they may have challenges they’re unprepared for as it relates to the safety regulations of transporting EVs. If you use an inexperienced shipper, be prepared for the possibility of time-consuming and potentially costly delays in shipping.

Other Considerations

Two other key things you should keep in mind when shipping an EV: you should charge it before pickup and consider enclosed, climate-controlled shipment in extreme temperatures. Your car may not be “driven” per se, but it may need to be started in order to load it onto the transport trailer. Plus, you’ll thanks yourself when it arrives with a full or near full charge so you don’t have to seek out a charging station right away.

Extreme temperatures do have an effect on batteries in electric vehicles so the weather is important to take note of before shipping. Extreme heat does pose the potential risk of a fire hazard in EVs, but no more than it does for standard vehicles. Nonetheless, hours in on the road in 100-degree weather might be more risk than you want to stomach. Cold weather doesn’t pose a risk of danger, but it can drain the battery quicker than more mild temperatures. If you have concerns about the weather when shipping an electric car, you may want to consider an enclosed, climate-controlled transport truck, which keeps the vehicle at a steady, comfortable temperature throughout the process.