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How do you charge a dead electric car?

I’ve always wondered what happens and what to do if my electric car battery dies. How do you charge a dead electric car?

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Bellina Gaskey · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Good question! If your electric car has died in your garage, plugging it in will get it going again. Unfortunately, the main massive battery in your electric vehicle can’t be jumpstarted, so keep an eye on that charge.
However, the smaller battery in your electric vehicle, the 12 volt, can be charged by jump starting it. If you’re out and about and the battery dies, this is the most likely reason it’s died.
Although cold weather isn’t great for humans or vehicles, electric cars still fare well in cold weather. But cold weather will still sap a battery, so being prepared is your best defense against winter.
Step 1: Find a working vehicle. This does not need to be another electric vehicle. As long as it has a healthy battery, it’ll work. Park it next to the dead electric car.
Step 2: Put the parking brake on for both vehicles, and turn off any extra things that will drain your battery (headlights, radio, etc.)
Step 3: Pull out your jumper cables.
Step 4: Connect the positive red side to the dead battery’s positive terminal, then the attached other red positive clamp is attached to the living battery’s positive terminal.
Step 5: Connect the negative black clamp to the negative terminal on the healthy battery.
Step 6: Attach the negative black clamp attached to the jumper cables to a spare bit of metal (exposed metal or bolt on the car) to ground the charge.
Step 7: Double check connections, and make sure the cables won’t get caught in anything.
Step 8: Start the healthy vehicle. Allow for a few minutes for the healthy vehicle to charge the dead vehicle.
Step 9: Start the electric vehicle. Leave the two connected and running for awhile to make sure there’s enough juice in the dead car.
Step 10: Remove the jumper cables in the opposite order you put them on. Take the negative off the EV first, then off the donor vehicle. Then take the positive off the donor car, before taking the positive off the EV. Make sure to never touch the clamps together.
Step 11: Keep the EV running for at least 15 minutes afterward so the battery can get going.
Whether your car is electric or gas, you always need affordable insurance.
Jerry
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MORE: EV Charging Might Be As Quick As Fueling Up Soon
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