Tuesday, 14 March 2017
quote [ Serious range and charging issues on the Supercharger network are revealed when towing an Off the Grid Rentals teardrop trailer behind our long-term 2016 Tesla Model X. ]
I have a reservation on a Model 3. I never intend to tow anything with it as my trailer is 6400 pounds unloaded anyway. The Tesla Model X has a tow rating of 5000 pounds though so I got curious as to the impact towing would have on an EV. I wasn't surprised.
When towing with my truck there are some things I monitor more closely. Transmission temperature going up grades and engine temperature. - Especially on hot days. With an EV you have other issues to worry about. Higher drain on the batteries produces heat. Outside ambient temperature will also impact battery range and performance if temps are too high or too low. It will also impact charge times at chargers.
I would never tow like this guy did. It is impractical given the huge time investment and range anxiety. Along with that, I generally tow the trailer to place far away from a charging station. Sure I could tow a small trailer to a campground and rent a site with electric, but that would charge pretty slow. That said there are people that tow near the limits with their Model X Teslas and generally tow locally versus attempting cross country towing like the guy in the article did. Either way, I found it interesting. I think we are a few years away from EV trucks(once they arrive) being accepted as anything other than local delivery/fleet vehicles. We are many years away from EV light trucks being able to tow anything at range.
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