Are electric cars allowed in the car wash?
Created: 06/28/2022, 1:45 p.m
When water and electricity meet, alarm bells ring for everyone.
Can electric cars go into a car wash without hesitation?
A car wash operator in Oldenburg recently imposed a Tesla ban.
Do e-cars in particular pose a risk when water and high-voltage technology come together?
Many electric car drivers are certainly wondering whether they can drive into a car wash without hesitation.
Thomas Schuster, motor vehicle expert from the expert organization KÜS gives the all-clear.
With the e-car in the car wash?
No problem according to Thomas Schuster from KÜS
“The combination of water and electricity harbors a certain potential for danger in many everyday situations.
In the case of purely electrically powered cars, however, there is no fear
and
drive safely into car washes
.
The high-voltage technology of the drive system is of course protected against the ingress of moisture by the manufacturer, as is the rest of the vehicle's electronics.
Accordingly
, e-cars are of course also suitable for use on rainy days as well as for driving through puddles
, where larger spray water fountains can arise.
In this respect, e-vehicles do not fundamentally differ from cars with combustion engines.
Nevertheless, users of an electric vehicle should check the vehicle's manual to see whether there may be
model-specific information on visiting a car wash
.
Washing e-cars by hand – you should bear this in mind
It is just as safe to wash battery-powered cars by hand or to clean the outside with a high-pressure cleaner as visiting the car wash.
However,
the hard water jet from a high-pressure cleaner should not be aimed directly at areas of the underbody
.
This is where the battery and motor are usually located, which are well encapsulated and protected against the ingress of water, but a hard jet of water could at least encourage moisture ingress.
In addition, the
jet of a high-pressure cleaner should not be aimed directly at the charging socket
area, even if it is protected with a cover.
Speaking of the charging socket: washing by hand, whether with a garden hose or a steam jet,
prohibited when the vehicle is being charged
.
Warning lights in the car and what they mean
View photo gallery
Tesla ban at the car wash was an exception
Incidentally, the Tesla ban imposed by a car wash operator from northern Germany at the beginning of 2022 was not aimed at preventing the risk of short circuits in high-voltage technology.
On the contrary, especially in older vehicles of the electric car brand, tailgates and charging flaps have occasionally opened during the washing process due to a particularly sensitive sensor system.
Accordingly, electric cars from other manufacturers are generally not affected by this ban.”
also read
This is how expensive it becomes if you accidentally set the parking disc incorrectly
Polishing headlights: The "repair" can cost TÜV
(Mario Hommen/SP-X)
