How to Ship Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
In the last decade, hybrid and electric vehicles have become more prevalent on the road. Whether you’re driving through town or on a long road trip, you’re bound to pass hybrid vehicles like a Toyota Prius or fully electric vehicles like the Tesla. If you are one of the owners of one of these fuel-efficient, eco-friendly cars, you might find yourself wondering how to ship hybrid or electric vehicles.
Below, we’ll show you how Preowned Auto Logistics approaches shipping hybrid and electric cars. We’ll also give you a quick and easy checklist to get your electric vehicle ready for shipping.
Recent Increase in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of electric and hybrid vehicles on the road. As more and more people purchase hybrids or switch from owning a gas engine vehicle to an electric car, the need to have these vehicles shipped also increases.
Fortunately, shipping an electric or hybrid car is the same as shipping a standard vehicle in almost every sense. The only minor differences between the two are the way you prepare your vehicle for transport, which we’ll cover below.
All Preowned Auto Logistics drivers are familiar with the latest technology in the auto industry and have years of experience handling both hybrid and electric vehicles. In fact, our drivers are often some of the first people exposed to new innovations like the keyless start and other smart-car features.
How to Prepare Your Electric Vehicle for Shipment
Getting your electric car ready for shipment is easy and fast. We’ll cover the three major steps you should take to get your electric vehicle prepared for shipment below.
Full Charge
The most crucial step in preparing your Tesla or electric vehicle for transport is to ensure the battery is fully charged before pickup. This will allow the driver to load and unload your car easily. If a vehicle does not have enough charge to be driven off the truck, other equipment may be needed to get it unloaded, which can slow down your delivery.
No Baggage
In order to meet weight requirements, the trucks have to come in under a certain weight on the road, which is one of the reasons we recommend not shipping any baggage with your vehicle. Additionally, having bags or suitcases in the car during transport increases the risk of damage or theft. It’s best to ship your car with as few additional items as possible.
Remove All Personal Items
As mentioned above, removing all personal items from the car before it is picked up for shipment is a good rule of thumb. Although the driver will secure the cars on the carrier and be with them for the vast majority of the trip, anything left in the vehicle increases the likelihood of damage or theft during stops.
How to Prepare Your Hybrid Vehicle for Shipment
Now, let’s take a look at how you should prepare your hybrid vehicle for transportation. These easy steps will help your driver get the car loaded quickly and make the shipment go smoothly.
Full Charge and a Quarter Tank of Gas
Unlike electric cars, hybrid vehicles do have gas tanks. You’ll want to make sure that your tank is at ¼ full or less. Keeping the tank this low helps to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle and makes it easy for your driver to plan for the weight of your car. Additionally, if possible, make sure your battery has a charge as well. For most hybrids, the battery won’t be used much in loading and unloading for shipment, but it’s still a good plan to try and have it charged.
No Baggage
Just like every other type of vehicle shipment, it’s best to unload your vehicle of all luggage before pickup completely. Doing this will help the driver meet the weight requirements and cut down on the potential for damage to your vehicle from shifting boxes in transit.
Remove All Personal Items
Lastly, you’ll want to remove any personal items to reduce the risk of theft while the vehicle is stopped on the road. Although your driver will be with the carrier for the majority of the trip, there will be rare times at rest stops that the truck will be unattended. Items in plain view through the windows increase the likelihood of someone breaking into the vehicle during these times.
In general, theft during shipping is extremely rare, but it’s always a good idea to err on the side of caution.
Risks of Battery Depletion
There is some concern that leaving your electric or hybrid vehicle with a full charge for extended periods can damage the battery or cause it to deplete. Our Preowned Auto Logistics drivers have not had any trouble with this issue in their years of experience transporting these kinds of cars across the country.
We always recommend checking your manufacturer’s recommendations before shipment to ensure you are taking the best care of your car, but shipping your car with a full charge should not cause any problems with your battery.
Get The Best Rate on Hybrid and Electric Car Shipping﹘ Request a Quote Today
If you’re ready to get on the move, give us a call at 877.542.1955 and receive a custom quote for your auto transport for electric or hybrid vehicles today.
Customer Reviews
“Kerri and team made our car transport so easy! Great communication throughout the process, and our car arrived safely, even sooner than originally estimated. Excellent service at a fair price. Highly recommend!”
– Melissa Brown
“Kerri from PAL was extremely helpful to myself and several other parents looking to ship their car from the Boston area down to New Orleans. She checked in along the way to let us know about delivery and followed up afterwards to make sure we were satisfied. I would not hesitate to recommend her or the company for auto transportation needs in the future.”
– Jeffrey Baron
