Can My EV Go Through A Car Wash? The Truth About EVs & Automatic Washes

We should quash the myth before we start delving deeper into keeping your electric vehicle clean - you can wash your car and drive in the rain like you would a traditional ICE vehicle.
Like any other vehicle, you should be careful driving through fords and large bodies of standing water but treat your EV like you would your ICE.
Can my electric vehicle suffer from water damage?
From toasters to lawnmowers, televisions to electric vehicles, all items that run on electricity will be extensively tested.
This ensures they are safe to use, have a reduced risk of fire, and any cabling is sealed in waterproof housing.
As EVs are used and often stored outside, they will be more rigorously tested against the elements to meet European standards on safety. You may see these as IP65 or IP66, whilst battery housing tends to meet IP67 or higher.
The batteries are manufactured with watertight sealing and undergo rigorous testing to guarantee their safety.
These tests are not only for the vehicle components, their housing and in-vehicle equipment but also for the charging cables too.
Types of Car Washes
Did you know there was more than one type of car wash? In the UK, you’ll more than likely see the automated car wash as the standard, whilst touchless car washes are growing in prevalence across the UK.
Touchless car washes are exactly what they say on the tin - a system that uses high-pressure jets of water, high-power cleaning substances and air dryers to remove, grease, grime and dirt from your vehicle.
Automated Car washes tend to feature large brushes, moving at speed, to wick away the dirt whilst using detergents, water and fans to clean, swill and dry your vehicle all in one container. You’ll find these at most supermarkets.
Whilst one is not better or worse for your EV than the other, there are certainly pros and cons to each. For us, we’d say that there’s nothing better than doing it yourself on your driveway!

Which car wash is the most EV friendly?
So, why should your choose one car wash over the other?
Many people recommend a more gentle wash for EV’s - one possibly labelled mild or ‘eco’ - as these are less powerful than the other variants of car wash.
There’ll be less risk of heavy water flowing into your vehicle’s systems, although the risk of this is relatively low regardless due to many components having sealed housing.
Many drivers will choose a mild or eco wash to protect their paintwork
Washing your EV yourself
The ultimate Sunday afternoon task - there’s nothing better than grabbing a bucket of soapy water, a chamois and your screen spray for a quick car wash whilst the Sunday roast cooks.
Whilst you can clean the body of your EV like you would any other vehicle, you must ensure your charge port is closed when cleaning the vehicle.
Removing dust is the main concern with an EV.
A damp-not-soaking-wet cloth or dry microfibre run around the charger housing should keep your charging port free of debris.
Otherwise, feel free to while away the hours polishing your tyres, debugging your headlights and making your vehicle sparkle. You’ll be the envy of many an EV driver on your next visit to Roadchef to charge..

What is Tesla’s Car Wash mode?
What will they think of next? All Tesla vehicles are pre-installed with a car-wash mode - an automated feature that locks certain functionalities whilst your vehicle is being cleaned.
Charging ports are locked tight, windows are sealed and wipers are disabled to make sure that no damage is done to key functions; whether they are interior or exterior.
The ever-popular Tesla Sentry mode will also be disabled.
Yes, Your EV Can Handle a Car Wash!
In short, your EV will be fine to go through a car wash or be washed by hand.
Just make sure that you’ve shut the charging port and, where possible, remove any small chunks of dust or dirt.