Easton is one of the easiest places in Columbus to own an electric car. There are fast chargers in the garages, Tesla runs its own chargers on the property, and the Tesla service center sits on Easton Loop West, inside the same district. It is also a place where an EV can quietly give up: a 12-volt battery that dies while you are at dinner, a car that will not wake up on a garage level, or a pack that ran lower than planned on the way in on I-270. If that happens, our Easton towing page covers the whole district, and this guide covers the electric-car side of it.
Below: what to check before you call, why an EV in a parking garage needs different equipment, the Tesla step that trips people up at the charger, and how the car gets moved without damage.
First, which battery is the problem?
Every EV has two batteries, and the answer to “why won't it move” depends on which one is in trouble.
- The small low-voltage battery runs the door handles, the screen and the computers. If it is flat, the car can look completely dead even with plenty of range in the main pack. The doors may not open, the screen stays black and the phone key does nothing.
- The main drive battery moves the car. If the screen works but the range reads zero or the car refuses to shift into Drive, this is the one that ran out.
The first case is often fixed on the spot with a jump start to the low-voltage system. A jump does not recharge the main pack, though. An EV with an empty drive battery has to be carried to a charger, your home or a service center.
One Tesla-specific warning: the Model Y manual says the windows lower slightly whenever a door opens or closes, so if the car has no power, connect outside low-voltage power before opening a door to avoid breaking a window. That is one more reason to let the driver handle a dark car rather than forcing the doors.
Name the garage, level and charger
Easton's parking mixes on-street spaces, surface lots and four named garages: the East Garage, the West Garage, the Fenlon Garage and the Worth Garage. Easton Gateway, in the lot between The Container Store and REI, has its own chargers. According to Easton's parking page, the EV charging is spread out like this:
- East Garage, second level: a DC fast charger.
- Fenlon Garage: Level 2 stations plus DC fast chargers.
- Worth Garage: Level 2 stations.
- Easton Gateway lot: a Level 2 station plus DC fast chargers.
- West Garage: EV parking on the ground floor.
Tesla and Whole Foods also run their own chargers in their own lots. When you call, give the dispatcher the garage or lot, the level, the nearest stairwell or store entrance, and whether you are parked at a charger. Easton lists a 24-hour Public Safety office on the ground level of the East Garage, which is worth knowing if you are waiting late at night and want a staffed place nearby.
Why a garage call needs different equipment
A full-size tow truck is usually too tall for a parking structure. For a car stuck on an upper or lower level, we send a low-profile unit built for parking garage recovery. The driver brings the car down the ramps on wheel dollies, so all four wheels stay off the concrete, and then loads it onto a flatbed outside if the trip is longer. The same low-profile towing setup also protects lowered cars and long front ends from scraping on garage ramps.
If you noticed the posted clearance at the garage entrance, mention it. If a pay gate, ticket or attendant stands between the car and the exit, say that too. Easton's Preferred Park program uses ParkMobile for on-street spaces, some lots and level 1 of the Fenlon and Worth garages, so have your parking session or receipt handy if it is relevant.
If your car simply will not start on a garage level and it is not an EV, our earlier post on a dead battery in a parking garage walks through that situation.
The Tesla step that trips people up at the charger
To roll or winch a Tesla, it has to be put in Tow Mode (older manuals call it Transport Mode), which keeps the parking brake released. Tesla's Model Y manual lists what the car needs before Tow Mode will turn on:
- Unplug it. The manual says Tow Mode is not available while the car is still plugged in. At an Easton charger, this is the step people miss.
- Keep your key with the car. Tow Mode works only when the car detects a key, so stay nearby with your phone key or key card.
- It needs low-voltage power. If the screen is dark, the manual says to try jump-starting the low-voltage system first so the touchscreen can be used.
- Brake pedal and Park. The car must be in Park with the brake pedal held, then Tow Mode is on the screen under Controls > Service > Towing.
Once Tow Mode is on, the car is free-rolling. Tesla says it may only roll slowly, under 5 mph, for less than 30 feet, just enough to winch it onto a flatbed or ease it out of a space. If the electrical system is not working at all and Tow Mode cannot be turned on, the manual directs tow operators to use self-loading dollies or tire skates instead. Do not turn Tow Mode on yourself until the driver is hooked up and ready.
All four wheels off the ground, every time
An electric motor generates power when its wheels spin. Tesla's manual puts it plainly: transport the car with all four tires off the ground, and never with the tires in a position where they can spin, because that can cause serious damage and overheating. Our EV and Tesla towing follows that rule for every electric car we move:
- Flatbed is Tesla's recommended method, and the car can face either direction.
- Wheel-lift with dollies is allowed by Tesla when a flatbed is not used, with the front wheels lifted and the rear wheels on dollies, for a maximum of 35 miles and within the dollies' speed rating.
- Strapped by the tires on the deck, never over the body panels or through the wheels.
Other brands write their own rules, and the driver follows your car's manual. Our post on why electric cars need a flatbed or dollies goes brand by brand. If the car was in a collision, say so on the call: Tesla says to assume the high-voltage parts are energized until professionals confirm otherwise.
Getting it to the Tesla service center
Tesla lists its Columbus service center, Tesla Service Columbus, at 4099 Easton Loop West, Columbus, OH 43219, with a delivery center and store on the same site. The service center's posted hours are 8 AM to 5 PM on weekdays, and it is closed on Saturday and Sunday. That matters for timing:
- On a weekday during service hours, a short tow from an Easton garage or lot to the service center is simple. Book or confirm with Tesla first so they expect the car.
- At night or on a weekend, check with Tesla before sending the car there, or have it taken home and brought in when the service center is open.
- If you want Tesla to cover the cost, read your coverage first. The manual says Tesla does not reimburse services that were not dispatched through Tesla Roadside Assistance.
If the car is past its factory warranty, an independent EV shop is another option, and our article on towing an out-of-warranty EV to Great Lakes EV in Dayton explains how that trip works.
If the problem is simply an empty pack, the destination may be a charger or your own driveway rather than the service center. Tell the dispatcher where you want the car to end up, whether that is your home, a dealer or an independent shop in Gahanna, and the price is quoted before a truck rolls.
Breaking down on the way in: I-270, Easton Way and Morse Road
Most drivers reach the Town Center from I-270 at exit 33, Easton Way. Easton's own directions note that drivers coming from the east or south turn left at the top of the ramp and cross the interstate on the Easton Bridge. Morse Road is exit 32 and State Route 161 is exit 30, and exit 33 shares collector-distributor lanes with exit 30. Around the Town Center itself, surface streets such as Stelzer Road, Morse Crossing and Easton Way carry the traffic between the garages, Easton Gateway and the office and hotel lots.
An EV that is running low will usually warn you well before it stops, so if the range is dropping fast in the cold, take the next exit rather than pushing on. If it does stop on the interstate, get as far onto the shoulder as you can, turn on the hazards and stay buckled in. If anyone is hurt or the car is stopped in a live travel lane, call 911 first. Our I-270 towing page covers highway pickups, and our guide to EV range in cold weather explains why winter numbers drop.
Leaving it overnight, and who tows at Easton
Easton's parking page says vehicles parked more than 24 hours will be towed and that enforcement runs around the clock by a company it names. We are not that company and cannot release cars it removes. If your EV will not move and you cannot stay with it, arrange a tow out rather than leaving it in the garage overnight. The same applies at the offices and hotels around the district, which set their own rules. If your car has already been towed, see our guide to finding a towed car in Columbus.
What to have ready when you call
- The garage or lot, level and nearest entrance, or the exit number if you are on I-270.
- Year, make and model, and whether the screen turns on.
- Whether the car is still plugged into a charger.
- Whether you have your phone key or key card with you.
- Where you want it to go: home, a charger, the Tesla service center or a shop.
Response times are estimates, and holiday traffic on Easton Way can stretch them. Most metro calls, Easton included, are reached in 20–40 minutes, and outer communities such as Gahanna in 40–60. Dispatch quotes the price before a truck rolls, and the full rate card is on our pricing page. For the district's garages, lots, offices and hotels, see our Easton towing and Easton Mall guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tow truck get my EV out of an Easton parking garage?
Usually, yes, but not with a standard wrecker, which is often too tall for a parking structure. A garage call gets a low-profile truck and wheel dollies, so the car can come down the ramps with all four wheels off the ground. Tell dispatch which garage you are in, the level and the nearest stairwell or store entrance.
Why won't my Tesla go into Tow Mode at the charger?
Tesla's Model Y manual says Tow Mode is not available while the car is still plugged in. Unplug the charging cable first. The car also has to detect your phone key or key card and needs 12-volt power, so a car whose screen is dark may need a jump to its low-voltage system before Tow Mode will work.
Can you tow my Tesla to the service center on Easton Loop West?
Yes. Tesla Service Columbus is at 4099 Easton Loop West, and Tesla lists its service hours as weekdays 8 AM to 5 PM, closed Saturday and Sunday. If the car dies at night or on a weekend, check with Tesla about leaving it before you send it there, or have it towed home and taken in later.
Should my EV be towed on a flatbed or with dollies?
Either works if all four wheels stay off the ground. Tesla recommends a flatbed and allows wheel lifts with dollies for up to 35 miles, within the dollies' speed rating. Other brands set their own rules, so the driver follows your car's manual.
Is Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc Easton's towing company?
No. Easton names its own enforcement tow company on its parking page, and we have no role in that. We only come when a driver calls us for help with their own car, whether that is a jump, a lockout, a garage recovery or a tow.
EV or Tesla stuck at Easton? Call (740) 812-9489 any hour, or send your location from the SOS request page.