Yes, your EV has a 12-volt battery too!

An EV has a 12-volt battery

I got a panicked call from a friend recently (August 2024). Her car, which happens to be a Tesla Model Y, was giving her real headaches. In the end, I got to tell her that her EV has a 12-volt battery as well as the high-voltage battery.

The symptoms were that it wouldn’t open, it wouldn’t respond to the key card or phone, at least not willingly. Once she got inside, it was difficult to start and began throwing messages at her.

Included in those messages was one that stated that the low voltage battery was failing.

Now as an EV driver, when she saw battery, she immediately thought the worst: that the car’s primary source of power, the battery, was failing. She did not realize that an EV also uses a 12-volt battery to essentially start the car through its electrical system! Hence the panic.

This can happen to any EV from any manufacturer. To all EV drivers, your car also uses a 12-volt battery to get things rolling. The distinction is low-voltage vs high-voltage. What your car relies on for propulsion is a high voltage battery.

Note to manufacturers: most drivers are just that. Drivers. They are not car people and need clearer explanations of failing systems and what they need to do. We’ve harped on this for years…

So, as a driver, if you see a warning about the car’s low-voltage battery, its time for roadside assistance. And its your best option: servicing anything electrical in an electric vehicle is potentially very dangerous.

My friend also asked about having the car jump started. However, the car had not been sitting unused for any length of time, which can create a situation that a jump start will resolve. In her case, the car is several years old and its simply more likely that the battery needs to be replaced. A good roadside service like AAA can make the determination and replace the battery.

However, it turned out that AAA won’t replace the start battery in a Tesla! The AAA driver opted to do it after work hours!

Click here for our list of roadside assistance phone numbers. And if you want to know more about jump starting, see the video we did here.

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The information on this website is provided for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

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