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Towing and recovery in County Meath · based in Dunshaughlin 085 783 9202

14 September 2026 · 2 min read

Electric car breakdown and towing: what EV drivers in Meath and Dublin need to know

More and more Meath commuters drive electric. EVs break down less often in some ways, but when they do stop, they need moving with a bit more care.

The front wheel of a blue electric car sitting on a red dolly, strapped to the deck of a CC Recovery truck

Electric cars are now one of the most common new cars on Irish roads, and plenty of them commute between Meath and Dublin every day. Here is what is different when one of them stops.

Why EVs stop

  • The battery runs out. Range drops in cold weather, at motorway speeds and with the heater on full. A charger that is out of order can leave you short.
  • The small 12V battery goes flat. It runs the locks, screens and computers. When it dies the car may not unlock or wake up at all, even with a full main battery.
  • Tyres. Many EVs carry no spare wheel.
  • Warning messages. Some faults put the car into a limited mode or stop it altogether.

Why most EVs go on a flatbed

In an electric car the wheels are connected to the motor. Towing with the drive wheels turning on the road can damage the motor or the electronics, which is why most makers say in the handbook that the car should be moved with its wheels off the ground. Our flatbeds carry the whole car on the deck. Where a car will not go into neutral, wheel dollies let us roll the locked wheels onto the deck.

A white SUV being loaded up the ramp of a CC Recovery flatbed in bright sunshine
A CC Recovery job. Number plates blurred.

Useful details for the call

  • Exact model and year, and fully electric or plug-in hybrid
  • Whether you can select neutral (some EVs need a special sequence)
  • Whether the car wakes up and the displays light
  • The exact wording of any fault message
  • Destination: your house, the dealer, a garage or a charger that works

If there has been a crash

Do not touch anything around the battery or the orange high-voltage cables. If you see smoke, hear hissing or smell burning, get everyone well away and ring 112.

Range tips for Meath commuters

  • Leave a margin in winter: the same commute uses more charge in the cold
  • Know a second charger on your route in case the first is busy or broken
  • Pre-heat the car while it is still plugged in
  • Keep the 12V battery healthy if the car sits unused for long spells

The price

The same as any tow with us: a call-out from €150, then €2 a kilometre to the destination, agreed on the phone first.

Ring 085 783 9202, or read about breakdown recovery in Meath.