re: Just Saw EV CAR on a tow truck getting charged at a charging station

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the cool thing is that you can flat tow an ev and recharge it

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Can You Flat Tow EVs to Recharge Them? Yes, but There Are Asterisks

We ask experts how easy it is, and their responses vary.

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Frank MarkusWriterManufacturerPhotographerMotorTrend StaffPhotographer

Oct 22, 2021

Can you flat tow an electric vehicle to recharge it? We recently put this question to electric-vehicle makers Rivian, Ford, and Lucid and got some interesting answers. Flat towing an electric vehicle (or pushing it) is no different than coasting it down a hill, as far as the EV's electronics are concerned. So the short answer to the question, "Can you flat tow an EV to recharge it?" is yes, you can. But there are some crucial asterisks.

First, the battery must still contain enough electrons to be fully "awake," so it can shift into Drive—an electric car in neutral won't regenerate electricity, whether it's being flat towed or rolled down a hill. Second, you'll likely need a powerful tow vehicle. Most battery-electric vehicles are relatively heavy, and they feel like their parking brake is on when they regenerate energy. This leads to asterisk number three: You'd better have robust brakes on both the tow vehicle and the towed EV, not to mention a strong tow strap.

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