Everything you need to know about shipping a Tesla, Rivian, or any EV — charge requirements, carrier considerations, and how to prepare for pickup.
Yes — EVs ship the same way conventional vehicles do, on open or enclosed carriers across all 48 contiguous states. The process is identical to shipping any other car: get a quote, carrier assigned, pickup inspection, transit, delivery inspection. The differences are in the details, and they matter.
Electric vehicles have specific requirements around charge level, weight, and handling that affect how carriers approach loading. Understanding those differences before you book will make the process smoother and help you avoid the most common problems EV owners run into at pickup.
Your EV must be fully charged — or as close to it as possible — before the carrier arrives for pickup. This is not a suggestion. Carriers need sufficient charge to drive the vehicle on and off the trailer, maneuver it into position on the deck, and move it again at delivery. If your battery is critically low and the car can't be driven, loading becomes a serious problem. A carrier won't winch a drivable EV, and they're not going to find a charging station mid-route to top it off.
The practical standard is 80 to 100 percent charge at pickup. Even if the transit is only a day or two, charge depletes slowly while the car sits on the trailer, and you want buffer for delivery-side maneuvering. Showing up at pickup with 15 percent charge creates a problem for the driver and potentially delays your shipment while they wait for a charge solution.
Unlike a gas vehicle where leaving a quarter tank is the recommendation, EVs flip that logic entirely — arrive fully charged.
Electric vehicles are heavier than their gasoline equivalents — often significantly so. Battery packs add 1,000 to 1,500 pounds to the curb weight of many popular EVs. A Tesla Model Y weighs roughly 4,400 pounds. A Rivian R1T tops 7,000 pounds. A Ford F-150 Lightning can exceed 6,000 pounds. That weight adds up fast on a multi-car trailer with payload limits, and carriers price accordingly.
Heavier vehicles take up more of a trailer's gross vehicle weight rating, which means the carrier may be limited in what other vehicles they can load on the same run. Fewer total vehicles per trip means the economics of the load shift, and the cost per vehicle goes up. On a standard open carrier, an EV surcharge of $100 to $300 over standard rates is common depending on the vehicle's weight and the corridor.
Larger EVs — full-size electric trucks and SUVs — face both the weight factor and a footprint factor. They simply take up more physical space on the trailer deck, compounding the pricing effect.
This is something most EV guides don't cover, but it's real: electric vehicles are genuinely harder to load onto a multi-car carrier than a conventional car, and experienced drivers know it.
When loading a multi-car trailer, drivers need to position vehicles within inches of each other. Spacing is tight by design — the goal is to fit as many vehicles as safely possible on the deck. With a gas car, drivers can modulate the throttle gradually and creep the vehicle into position with fine control. With an electric vehicle, the throttle response is instant and linear. There's no gradual engine engagement, no natural lag. The car moves the moment you apply any input, and it moves with more immediate force than most drivers expect in a low-speed maneuvering context.
This doesn't make EVs impossible to load — drivers handle them every day — but it does require more attention and technique. Less experienced drivers may be uncomfortable with it. Some carriers informally add a surcharge specifically for EVs, separate from the weight consideration, because of the additional care loading requires. It's worth being aware of when you're comparing quotes.
Starting from $500 for most EVs
40–60% premium over open
Several popular EVs run lower to the ground than a typical sedan. The Tesla Model S in its lowest air suspension setting, the Porsche Taycan, and Lucid Air all have ground clearance that can create ramp loading problems on a standard open carrier. If your EV sits below 5 inches of ground clearance — particularly at the front splitter or underside battery housing — ramp loading risks scraping the undercarriage.
For low-clearance EVs, enclosed transport with a hydraulic lift gate is the right choice. The lift gate raises and lowers the vehicle without requiring it to drive up a steep angle under its own power. If you're shipping a performance EV or a luxury EV with low clearance, mention it when requesting your quote so we can confirm the carrier's loading equipment before assigning.
If your EV has adjustable air suspension, raise it to its highest setting before pickup. That single step can make ramp loading viable on open carriers and eliminates a potential problem before it starts.
Arrive at pickup fully charged. The carrier needs charge for loading, transit maneuvering, and unloading at delivery. Don't show up at 20%.
If your EV has adjustable air suspension, set it to the highest ride height before pickup. This helps with ramp loading on open carriers and reduces ground clearance risk.
Disable any automatic lane correction, automatic braking, or proximity alerts that could interfere with the driver moving the vehicle during loading. These systems can trigger unexpectedly in tight trailer environments.
Turn off Sentry Mode or any active security monitoring before pickup. These systems drain the battery in transit and can behave unpredictably when the vehicle is being moved in ways it doesn't recognize.
Don't leave charging cables plugged in or stored loosely in the frunk. Secure them in the trunk or remove them entirely before the carrier arrives.
Take dated photos of all sides, the charge level on the instrument cluster, and the odometer before the carrier arrives. Walk through the inspection with the driver and note every existing mark on the Bill of Lading before signing.
Tesla Model 3 / Model Y — The most commonly shipped EVs in our network. Standard ground clearance, manageable weight. Open transport is appropriate for most shipments. Enable Transport Mode in the Tesla app before pickup to disable proximity warnings and limit battery drain.
Tesla Model S / Model X — Heavier and lower than the Model 3/Y. Model S in low air suspension can create ramp clearance issues. Raise suspension before pickup. Model X with falcon wing doors requires careful positioning — confirm with the carrier that the loading position won't restrict door clearance at delivery.
Rivian R1T / R1S — Among the heaviest consumer EVs on the market. Rivian R1T curb weight tops 7,000 pounds. This significantly affects payload on a standard open carrier and pricing reflects it. Open transport is available but expect higher surcharges. Enclosed is worth considering for the R1S given its value.
Ford F-150 Lightning — Heavy full-size truck with EV weight penalties on top of standard truck sizing. Open transport works but weight and footprint both factor into pricing.
Porsche Taycan / Lucid Air — High-value, low-clearance vehicles where enclosed transport with lift gate loading is the appropriate choice. Don't ship these on a standard open ramp carrier.
Chevy Bolt / Nissan Leaf / Hyundai Ioniq — Standard-weight, standard-clearance EVs. Open transport is appropriate and pricing closely matches comparable gas vehicles with a modest EV surcharge for weight.
Tell us your EV's make, model, pickup and delivery locations, and your first available date. We'll send you a price-locked quote within an hour.
EV shipping typically runs $100 to $300 more than equivalent gas vehicles on the same route due to battery weight. Cross-country open transport for a mid-size EV like a Tesla Model Y typically runs $1,400 to $1,800. Heavier EVs like the Rivian R1T or F-150 Lightning will price higher. Enclosed transport adds 40 to 60 percent on top of that. Get a quote for your specific vehicle and route.
80 to 100 percent. The carrier needs sufficient charge for loading, any maneuvering during transit stops, and unloading at delivery. Do not show up at pickup with a low battery — if the vehicle can't be driven onto the trailer, it creates a significant problem at loading.
Model 3 and Model Y are fine on open carriers for most shipments. Model S with low air suspension settings may benefit from enclosed loading. For high-value Teslas or any Tesla with air suspension, raise it to maximum height before pickup if shipping open. Enable Transport Mode before the carrier arrives to disable proximity alerts and limit battery drain.
Two reasons: weight and handling. EVs are heavier than comparable gas vehicles due to battery packs, which affects trailer payload limits and carrier economics. EVs also require more careful loading due to instant throttle response — drivers need to position vehicles within inches of each other on the trailer, and electric vehicles move more abruptly at low speeds than gas cars. Both factors are reflected in pricing.
Yes, but it requires enclosed transport with a hydraulic lift gate for vehicles with less than 5 inches of clearance. Ramp loading on a standard open carrier can scrape the front splitter, underside battery housing, or air dam on low-riding EVs. If your vehicle has adjustable air suspension, raise it to maximum before pickup regardless of transport type.
Yes. Sentry Mode drains the battery while the vehicle sits on the trailer and can trigger unexpectedly when the car is moved during loading. Autopilot and automatic braking systems can interfere with the driver's control during low-speed maneuvering. Disable both before pickup. For Teslas, enable Transport Mode in the app — it handles most of this automatically.
Minimally, if Sentry Mode and active systems are disabled. A parked EV with no active systems draws very little power. On a standard 1 to 5 day transport, you'll lose a small percentage of charge — typically under 5 to 10 percent depending on ambient temperature and how long the car sits. Arrive at delivery well-charged and plan for a top-up soon after.
