EV Jump-Starts – Is It Possible?

You’ve probably read somewhere or seen a video on how to jump-start a car. You need another vehicle with a strong, working battery to assist the car, truck, or SUV that has a dead battery. But, can you jump-start a car with an EV? Yes, you can, and the reason is that EVs, despite their large lithium-ion battery packs, still have 12-volt lead-acid batteries in them as they travel along St Louis roads and elsewhere. 

Find out if you can jump-start a car with an EV or perform an EV jump-start with our guide from the team at BMW of West St Louis.

Why Do EVs Have Standard 12-Volt Batteries in Them?

The answer is simple. Vehicle designers have separated the power that drives the EV motors from the power that sends electricity to the accessories like door locks, power windows, windshield wipers, and the starter for your Ballwin drives.

You still need to be careful not to leave your headlights on while the main motor is off because that could cause your EV not to start when you get back behind the wheel. If your 12-volt battery dies in your electric vehicle, you’ll need an EV jump-start from a gasoline-powered vehicle that has a working 12-volt battery in it. Having a 12-volt battery power the accessories is safer than the main bank of lithium-ion batteries, particularly in an accident.

We recommend reading your owner’s manual or scheduling a service appointment with our experts to confirm if your specific EV can be jump-started by another vehicle.

Can Your EV Be Jump-Started by Another Vehicle?

Yes, you can jump-start a car with an EV. You follow the same process as you would with a gasoline-powered car. Never attempt to jump-start your EV with the lithium-ion battery pack. The only battery to use with an EV jump-start is the 12-volt battery. 

With that out of the way, here’s how to jump-start your EV if you find that you’re stranded around Ladue:

1. Park both vehicles close to each other so that the jumper cables can reach the jumping points easily.
2. With both cars off, connect the red clamp on the jumper cable to the positive terminal on the EV.
3. Connect the other red clamp to the positive terminal on the vehicle with the working battery.
4. The black clamp on the jumper cable should now be attached to the negative terminal on the vehicle with the working battery.
5. The final black clamp should be connected to an unpainted metal surface on the EV to ground the connection.
6. Start the vehicle with the good battery.
7. After a few minutes, start the EV.
8. At this point, keep the EV’s main motor on because that’ll recharge the 12-volt battery.

Can You Jump-Start a Car With an EV?

You can jump-start an EV with a regular car, but can you jump-start a car with an EV? No, you can’t. In fact, EV manufacturers recommend never jump-starting another car with your EV because it could lead to damage to your electric vehicle’s battery system. If you have an electric vehicle and someone you know needs a jump-start in Manchester, they’ll have to find someone else to jump-start their vehicle or use roadside assistance.

Learn About EV Jump-Starts & Maintenance With BMW of West St Louis!

If you have other questions about EV maintenance, contact us. If you need maintenance or your regular tire rotations, schedule a service appointment today. We’re happy to help in any way we can!