You jump-start a hybrid or an electric car through its 12V battery, often using jump points under the bonnet rather than the battery itself, which may sit in the boot or under a seat. The high-voltage battery is never jump-started. If you would rather not, a QARO technician jump-starts it with a lithium jump pack and tests the 12V battery, starting from AED 120, anywhere in the UAE, 24/7.
What is different from a normal car
- Only the 12V battery is jump-started. It wakes the car and runs the computers. When it is flat, the car will not switch on, even if the high-voltage battery is charged.
- The 12V battery may be hidden. In many hybrids and EVs it sits in the boot or under a seat, and the car has jump points under the bonnet instead. Your owner’s manual shows where.
- The car starts by switching to “ready”, not by cranking an engine.
- Do not use your hybrid or EV to jump another car unless the owner’s manual says you can.
Step by step
- Switch everything off in both cars: lights, AC and radio, with the handbrake on.
- Find the 12V battery or the jump points in the owner’s manual. Do not touch anything marked high voltage, usually with orange cables.
- Red clamp on the positive (+) jump point of the dead car, then on the positive of the good battery or the jump pack.
- Black clamp on the negative (−) of the good battery or pack, and the last black clamp on the earth point the manual shows, or bare metal away from the battery.
- Switch the dead car on to “ready”. If it does not wake after a couple of tries, stop.
- Remove the clamps in reverse order, and keep the car in “ready” for a while so the 12V battery can recharge.
- Have the 12V battery tested. One that went flat, especially in summer, is often near the end of its life.
The general cable order, with diagrams, is in how to jump-start a car safely.
Or let QARO do it
| You need | QARO service | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The car will not switch on | Jump-start with a lithium jump pack, and a 12V battery health test | Starting from AED 120 |
| The 12V battery is dead | Battery replacement at your parking bay; the jump-start fee is deducted from the battery price | Starting from AED 425 fitted; AGM batteries cost more, shown in the app |
FAQs
- Can you jump-start an electric car? Only its 12V battery, which is what wakes the car. The high-voltage battery is charged, not jump-started.
- Where are the jump points on a hybrid? In the owner’s manual; many hybrids keep the 12V battery in the boot and give you jump points under the bonnet.
- Can my hybrid jump-start another car? Only if your owner’s manual says so.
- How much is a jump-start for a hybrid in the UAE? A QARO jump-start is starting from AED 120, the same for hybrids and EVs.