1994 was a big year. Amazon was founded, the “information superhighway” was gaining traction, and moveauto opened its doors, offering vehicle transportation across the U.S. While much has changed since then, some things have come full circle.
Perhaps the most significant change in the auto industry and for auto transport companies like ours, was the increase in both size (length and width) and weight of vehicles. Auto transport trailers were typically built to carry 10 cars, but with the proliferation of SUVs, which weigh significantly more than passenger cars, the total allowable weight was maxed out with fewer vehicles, driving up costs and impacting efficiency.
SUVs weren’t the only new type of car gaining popularity. Electric vehicles (EVs) were also making a comeback. Despite wide-held belief that electric-powered cars were invented in the late 1990s, the first electric vehicle was created long before. In fact, the earliest all-electric vehicles were developed in the mid 1800s. By the end of the century, William Morrison had designed an electric, six-passenger wagon with a top speed of 25 mph and a range of 80 miles.
By the early 1900s, one in every three cars on the road was an EV. You know Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb, but he also worked on building better batteries for electric vehicles of his time.
Fast forward to the 1990s, and there were a handful of all-electric vehicles, but it wasn’t until Toyota released the Prius in 1997 that electric cars became a viable alternative to gas-powered vehicles.
Twenty-five years later, electric vehicles (EVs) have not only improved dramatically but they’ve also become mainstream alternatives to gas-powered cars and trucks. Today, there are more than 30 EV models for sale in the US.
History has come full circle, and with it, some of the original auto transport challenges. Weight is again a major issue as EVs weigh significantly more than similarly sized gas-burning cars. The smallest Tesla (Model 3) weighs approximately 1000 lbs. more than the 3000-pound Honda Civic. Audi’s new e-tron weighs a full ton more than their similarly sized Q5 SUV.
Despite this, it seems that this time EVs are here to stay. California has joined countries like France in placing bans on traditional vehicles that go into effect starting in 2035, and 17 more states are following California’s vehicle emissions requirements rather than federal standards, suggesting they may follow suit in banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles, as well.
Today, we transport about a dozen EVs a week. As that number continues to climb and we plan for a greener future, moveauto has adapted special procedures for transporting electric vehicles.
In addition to the standard auto transport checklist, be sure to do the following if you plan to have your EV shipped:
- Ensure it has a full charge for transport
- Turn off all “watchdog” features
- Turn off climate control features (including “no greater than” interior temps)
- Avoid constantly checking the location of your car via app while in transport. We know it’s tempting, but EV batteries deplete much faster along a cross-country transport when owners “activate” the car’s brain by checking its stats. Keep in mind that EVs don’t like to sit and will lose charge naturally.
At moveauto, we continually update our fleet to reflect current needs and pride ourselves in leading the industry in green vehicle transportation.
To request a free quote or schedule an EV transport, click here.
