A car with a large lithium battery under the floor sounds like the sort of thing a shipping line would rather not carry. They do carry them, but an electric car comes with a few rules a petrol car does not. None of them are difficult, and most of them are ours to deal with rather than yours.
This guide covers what changes when the car is electric or a hybrid: how the battery is treated at sea, container or RoRo, the charge level, charging once it is here, and the testing and tax, which are much the same as any other import.
Why the battery changes things
Goods carried by sea follow an international rulebook for dangerous goods, the IMDG Code. Under it, a battery-powered vehicle is classed as dangerous goods (class 9), because a lithium battery can catch fire if it is damaged. UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency guidance confirms the code applies to electric vehicles, whatever the size of the battery.
That does not stop the car being shipped. It means it has to be declared properly, packed the right way and booked with a line that is happy to take it. The declaration is our job, so the main thing we need from you is an accurate description of the car.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids carry a battery as well as a fuel tank. Tell us exactly what you have, including whether it plugs in, and we will declare it correctly.
Container or RoRo
My Car Import ships electric cars both ways. Which one makes sense depends on the route, the car and what the shipping lines on that route will accept at the time.
On a RoRo ship, the car is driven onto a vehicle deck and lashed down. The MCA guidance notes that vehicles stowed in a ship's vehicle or ro-ro space are exempt from most of the IMDG Code's requirements, which keeps the paperwork lighter. The car must be able to drive on and off, so the battery needs enough charge to do that.
In a container, the car is classed as class 9 dangerous goods and the full requirements apply. It is more paperwork, but the car is sealed away for the whole voyage and the container comes to our site in Castle Donington, where our own team unloads it.
| Feature | Container | RoRo |
|---|---|---|
| How it travels | Strapped down in a sealed container | Driven onto a vehicle deck |
| Dangerous goods paperwork | Full class 9 declaration | Mostly exempt on the vehicle deck |
| Car must drive | No | Yes, on and off the ship |
| Unloaded at our site | Yes | No, collected from the port |
| Who arranges it | We do | We do |
For the wider comparison, including air freight, see container, RoRo or air.
How much charge to leave
Shipping lines and airlines can set their own limits on how much charge an electric car may carry, and the limits are not the same everywhere. We will tell you the level to leave it at once the booking is made, so please do not guess.
Whatever the limit, the car needs enough to be moved under its own power at both ends. A car that arrives completely flat has to be pushed or winched, which adds time and cost.
Air freight has stricter rules again, and every air job is priced individually. If you need a car here in days rather than weeks, ask us about air freight and we will tell you what is realistic.
Damaged battery? If the car has been in an accident, or the battery has any warning or known fault, tell us before you buy. A damaged lithium battery is treated very differently in shipping, and it changes what we can arrange.
Before it ships
Electric car checklist
0 of 7 done
The rest of the preparation is the same as for any car. Our guide to preparing your car for shipping has the full list.
Charging once it is here
Check the charging socket before you commit to the car. GOV.UK's technical specification for home and workplace chargepoints uses the Type 2 connector for AC charging, so that is what you will find on most wallboxes and slower public posts.
For rapid DC charging, CCS is the usual connector on UK public chargers. CHAdeMO, used by some older Japanese electric cars, is less common than it was, and many rapid chargers no longer have it. Adaptors exist for some combinations.
A car built for another market may have a different socket from a UK car of the same model. That is not always a deal breaker, but it is worth finding out what charging you will have access to before the car leaves.
Testing and registration
An electric car follows the same approval rules as any other import. As a rule, a car under 10 years old from outside Europe needs an IVA test, while a newer car from the EU usually uses a Certificate of Conformity. Cars 10 to 40 years old take an MOT.
The usual changes apply too: headlights that dip the right way, a rear fog light where needed, and a speedometer that reads in mph. My Car Import has IVA tested and registered Teslas for plenty of clients, and the test runs in our own lane, which a DVSA examiner visits every week.
The detail is in the IVA test explained and speedometer and headlight conversions.
Import tax and vehicle tax
There is no discount on import tax for being electric. A car from outside the EU pays 10% duty and 20% VAT, and a car from the EU pays 20% VAT, both worked out on the price of the car plus the cost of getting it here. The UK Trade Tariff lists the same 10% duty for electric cars as for petrol and diesel ones.
If you are moving to the UK and have owned the car for more than 6 months, after living abroad for more than 12, you may be able to bring it in tax free under Transfer of Residence. You can run your own numbers on the import tax calculator.
Once it is registered, an electric car pays vehicle tax like any other car. GOV.UK lists a £10 first payment for zero emission cars, then the standard rate, and an extra yearly charge on cars with a high list price.
Questions people ask
Can you ship an electric car to the UK?
Yes. My Car Import ships electric cars by container and RoRo. The battery means the car is classed as dangerous goods at sea, so it has to be declared properly, and we take care of that.
Is a hybrid treated the same as an electric car?
A hybrid carries a battery as well as a fuel tank, so tell us exactly what it is, including whether it plugs in. We will declare it correctly for the route.
How much charge should the battery have?
Shipping lines and airlines can set their own limits, so we tell you the level once the booking is made. It needs enough to move the car under its own power at both ends.
Will my car charge at UK chargers?
It depends on its socket. UK home and AC chargers use Type 2, and most rapid chargers use CCS. A car built for another market may differ, so check before you buy.
Do electric cars pay less import tax?
No. They pay the same as any car: 10% duty and 20% VAT from outside the EU, or 20% VAT from the EU, unless Transfer of Residence applies.
Shipping an electric car or hybrid? Mention it on the quote form and we will price the right route for it.
