Should New Energy Vehicles Be Put in Neutral When Parking?

[VonSophia]

New energy vehicles should be put in neutral when parking. Parking methods for new energy vehicles: Step on the brake and shift to neutral. For automatic transmission vehicles, when parking for an extended period, shift to P gear and engage the handbrake. If waiting at a red light for more than 30 seconds, shift to neutral and engage the handbrake. For waits under 30 seconds, it is recommended to stay in D gear and step on the foot brake. For manual transmission vehicles, when parking for an extended period, shift to neutral and engage the handbrake. If waiting at a red light for more than 30 seconds, shift to neutral and engage the handbrake. For waits under 30 seconds, it is recommended to stay in 1st gear and step on the clutch and foot brake. Precautions for parking new energy vehicles: Before driving, ensure the parking handbrake is fully released to avoid burning out the brake pads or motor. When the red light on the power indicator flashes, it means the battery has reached its limit. Stop using the vehicle and charge it promptly. When changing the vehicle's direction between forward and reverse, wait until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. Operate in the sequence of forward gear, neutral, reverse gear, or reverse gear, neutral, forward gear. Avoid suddenly changing the driving direction while the vehicle is in motion, as this can easily damage the electronic control system.

[McArthur]

I've been driving this Tesla for over three years, and usually just shifting to P (Park) when parking is sufficient—there's really no need to go through the extra step of shifting to neutral. EVs are different from gasoline cars; without a physical connection between the engine and transmission, shifting to P directly cuts power to the motor, effectively acting as a physical power-off. I remember once in an underground garage on a slope, I tried shifting to neutral and engaging the electronic parking brake, but the car still wobbled slightly. Later, a service technician explained that EVs rely on motor locking—without shifting to P, the car won't stay firmly in place. Now I've developed a habit: using Autohold at red lights and directly pressing the brake to shift to P for long stops—double security for peace of mind.

[Emilio]

Last week at the charging station, I saw an interesting scene: a Han EV owner was running the AC while charging and deliberately shifted to N gear. When asked why, they said it was a power-saving trick learned from a video. Actually, it's completely unnecessary! During charging, new energy vehicles automatically cut off the drive circuit, so even keeping it in D gear doesn't matter—I often do this with my XPeng. What really needs attention is parking on slopes. Two years ago, I forgot to shift to P gear while resting in my Model 3 at a mountain road stop, and the electronic parking brake alone couldn't hold it—it rolled over half a meter and hit the guardrail, costing me nearly two thousand in repairs. Now, if I stop for more than ten seconds, my right hand reflexively presses the P gear button.

[EleanorDella]

After switching to an electric car, I noticed something interesting: many veteran drivers of gasoline cars can't shake the habit of shifting to neutral. My dad, when driving my NIO ET5, always moves the gear lever to N at red lights. However, the design logic of new energy vehicles is different. For example, in my car, staying in D gear and pressing the brake deeply activates regenerative braking, which stops the motor directly—more energy-efficient than shifting to neutral. The manufacturer's trainer mentioned that frequently switching to N gear actually increases the load on the electric control system. Once, during a test, I found that with the air conditioning on while waiting, staying in D gear consumed 0.8 kWh per hour, whereas N gear used 1.2 kWh. The only exception is in automatic car wash conveyor belts, where shifting to neutral is indeed necessary.