Truck got towed

[s3mamill]

Hi everyone, I parked in a spot I wasn't supposed to yesterday and my truck got towed. I've heard that there are special considerations for towing an EV, like the motor could get burned out when towing with the wheels rolling (though I could be wrong). Is there anything I should ask the tow company or be on the lookout for? Frustratingly, I watched as it got towed off and they had lifted the back up and it was rolling on the front wheels.

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[RickLightning]

Hi everyone, I parked in a spot I wasn't supposed to yesterday and my truck got towed. I've heard that there are special considerations for towing an EV, like the motor could get burned out when towing with the wheels rolling (though I could be wrong). Is there anything I should ask the tow company or be on the lookout for? Frustratingly, I watched as it got towed off and they had lifted the back up and it was rolling on the front wheels.

The truck is AWD. It needs to be towed with all 4 wheels off the ground. There is an emergency tow mode, but without access to your vehicle it couldn't have been enabled. I would suspect that there is damage. Tow truck drivers have access to a guide for vehicles, and are supposed to use it.

For the Lightning, it says under Rear Wheel Lift - Not approved.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...orcraft/2022_Wrecker_Towing_Guide_mcs6420.pdf

 

[Jim Lewis]

Tow truck drivers have access to a guide for vehicles, and are supposed to use it.

Maybe the problem is that the tow driver thought that he was towing a regular F-150, as the guide says that for the F-150/Raptor, Rear Wheel Lift towing at up to 50 mph for unlimited distances is approved for those vehicles.

 

[Randall Stephens]

Hi everyone, I parked in a spot I wasn't supposed to yesterday and my truck got towed. I've heard that there are special considerations for towing an EV, like the motor could get burned out when towing with the wheels rolling (though I could be wrong). Is there anything I should ask the tow company or be on the lookout for? Frustratingly, I watched as it got towed off and they had lifted the back up and it was rolling on the front wheels.

I’d contact legal representation and ask. A tow driver may be held responsible for damage in some states. Not knowing what you’re towing is also a big no-no.

 

[PreservedSwine]

My .00000002 cents. Reorientation at this point is a waste of money. What kind of damage? There’s no transmission- all I can think of is the spinning wheels would charge the battery- if it overcharges maybe some damage there. But you’re probably fine- it was likely not towed too far and the battery wasn’t already charged to 100%. Look on the bright side-you got a little free charging. If there’s damage- contact the tow company, talk to the owner, give him an opportunity to make it right. If he doesn’t- contact your lawyer. Usually just a letter with his letterhead will take care of things.

 

[Maquis]

My .00000002 cents. Reorientation at this point is a waste of money. What kind of damage? There’s no transmission- all I can think of is the spinning wheels would charge the battery- if it overcharges maybe some damage there. But you’re probably fine- it was likely not towed too far and the battery wasn’t already charged to 100%. Look on the bright side-you got a little free charging. If there’s damage- contact the tow company, talk to the owner, give him an opportunity to make it right. If he doesn’t- contact your lawyer. Usually just a letter with his letterhead will take care of things.

There can be no regen charging when the truck isn’t turned on.

 

[PreservedSwine]

I was under the impression the lighting had permanent magnet motors- which means there’s no way they can spin without charging… something. If the wheels are spinning, they’re creating a charge. If that charge isn’t going into the battery, there will almost certainly be some damage. I’m not an electrical engineer, just a mechanical, and know just enough to be dangerous. I wish someone with specific knowledge may come across this and chime in.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I was under the impression the lighting had permanent magnet motors- which means there’s no way they can spin without charging… something. If the wheels are spinning, they’re creating a charge

There is potential energy being created by the motor unit, but the contactors are wide open while the truck is off.

 

[Jim Lewis]

No

, you cannot flat tow or dolly-tow the new Ford F-150 Lightning since it is an electric vehicle and because of its internal design. The way the drive train is designed, rotating the wheels via towing also spins the motor that can damage it and potentially cause it to overheat.

The only safe way to tow a Ford F-150 Lightning is on a flatbed trailer. Any other towing method runs the risk of serious damage to the motor. The rest of this article will discuss why you can’t flat tow the new Ford F-150 Lightning, and what alternatives are available.

Source: https://truckpowered.com/can-you-flat-tow-the-new-f-150-ford-lightning/

The article sure has the F-150 weight wrong - lists it as 8,250 lbs, about a ton off! Hopefully, they got their other facts straight...

 

[TaxmanHog]

 

[bmwhitetx]

I was under the impression the lighting had permanent magnet motors- which means there’s no way they can spin without charging… something. If the wheels are spinning, they’re creating a charge. If that charge isn’t going into the battery, there will almost certainly be some damage. I’m not an electrical engineer, just a mechanical, and know just enough to be dangerous. I wish someone with specific knowledge may come across this and chime in.

EE here. Yep they're permanent magnet motors. And when you spin them they create a voltage. But that voltage doesn't have to do anything. Just like a battery produces voltage, unless you hook load to it nothing happens. It's not correct to say that it has to charge something.

Take any hobby DC motor and you'll find you can spin it freely. And if you hook a load to it (like a flashlight bulb), it should then get difficult to spin but can maybe produce light. This is regen (or simply gen).

But I don't know what the Lightning motors are connected to. It could be they create a high enough voltage to damage some components; this part I don't know.

 

[PA Lightning]

I would have a conversation with the tow company owner and explain what the driver did. (and what he should have done). I would ask him to flatbed the truck to your dealer for evaluation and go from there.

 

[s3mamill]

Good advice everyone. It was towed maybe a mile or two away at city driving speed. I drove it that evening and to work this morning and everything seems fine, but I'll call the owner and have a chat with them.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Good advice everyone. It was towed maybe a mile or two away at city driving speed. I drove it that evening and to work this morning and everything seems fine, but I'll call the owner and have a chat with them.

I think the truck will be fine, definitely educate the tow operator!

 

[Heliian]

The truck uses a physical parking pawl. If it was rolled in park there is a good chance of that breaking. Have the dealer check it out and don't park where you'll get towed.

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