Which ev's can tow a trailer?

[Marcus]

Rather than continue hijacking gareths thread i thought i ought to start a new one:

I want to wean myself off ff completely if possible, so i would like to replace my diesel astra estate with an ev, but seem to bog down in digging out info when i look at 2nd hand cars for sale locally.

If anyone can add any info or suggestions - it would help me narrow my searches if i know the model I'm looking for likely meets my requirements.

I would like:
1800kg towing capacity
Take a small no. Of 3m lengths internally
>100 miles range
Cheap as chips to buy and run

I would consider:
1000kg towing
Using a roof rack if it saves me ££££ (but roof rack is a faff if you just need a couple of lengths of something).

I knew that one of the teslas could tow, i now know Stinsys id4 can, and the Munro.

I did find a list on the www (don't know if it's accurate or up to date):-

Tesla X 2268kg
Audi etron 1800kg
Mercedes eqc & eqa 1800kg
Kia ev6 1600kg hatchback
Hyundai ioniq 5 big battery 1600kg hatchback
Polestar 2 1500kg hatchback
Vw Id4 1200kg (different - guess it depends on age/options)
Skoda enyak 1200kg
Vauxhall vivaro elife 1000kg
Peugeot etraveller 1000kg
Citroën espace traveller 1000kg
Munro? (was not in the list)

Vans? Don't seem to appear on my ev for sale searches.

I'm guessing the hatchbacks won't meet my 3m requirement. I'm also guessing that most towing capable evs would meet my range requirements. I suspect they're going to be outside my price range, but i can keep saving even as they get older - eventually they should become affordable...

If anyone could shed any further light on what might work for me i would appreciate it.

[Oliver90owner]

The ioniq 5 will take a 2.4m Fiat car propshaft at a push, with the front seat a bit compromised, so I expect 3m without a front seat passenger is likely OK. Better if small section and flexible, of course?

I’ve no idea of range while towing with the full 1.6 tonne behind, but easily greater than 100 miles if treated gently? I expect the trailer/load might make a fair difference, as would the temperature.

Not as efficient as the Teslas but not bad (if not driven hard). Expensive to buy, cheap to run, like most EVs if you can charge at home on a cheaper tariff.

I expect a single axle trailer, grossing at 1000kg, would present little problem behind the Ioniq 5.

[Stinsy]

The general advice is that BEVs halve their range when towing. However the reality is very subjective, driving locally: range can be barely affected because aero has less effect at low speeds and you get extra regen from braking. On the motorway is where your range really suffers.

BEVs generally make amazing tow cars. The way torque is delivered, the additional weight of the tow car, and the super-low centre of mass of the tow-car, makes for a very pleasant experience.

My iD4 is RWD so limited to 1000kg, AWD versions are rated at 1200kg.

The BEV version of the Transit Custom is to be launched in February ‘24, I believe that can tow 2000kg but might be wrong…

[Ken]

I suspect that the MG5 will take 3M down the centre between seats into the front passenger footwell - no idea if it will, its just something i often do in my ICE estate. Otherwise go for roof racks as the MG has rails. Trailer sounds like overkill to me.

[Marcus]

Thanks. Into the passenger footwell is fine - thats how i get 3m things into the astra

The trailer is for livestock rather than for work. The reason I'm labouring the 3m lengths issue is that i frequently need to take 3m lengths (galv conduit / unistrut / whatever), and the fact that i can get several lenghts* in the astra means i very rarely have to bother with the rr. I could just keep the rr on the car, but then that's an aerodynamic 'hit'.

* although, operating the handbrake becomes awkward.

I have seen the range is halved or more figure on the internet, but iirc it was on a test done towing a caravan, probably on the motorway; so for me towing a few miles through the welsh countryside between fields ought not be an issue. If I'm transporting sheep downhill i could theoretically come out ahead if regen braking with a loaded trailer.

Edit: not sure why I've got that emoji at the top - it's supposed to be a regular smiley?

[Mart]

Hi Marcus, I think all the Tesla's can tow. The 3 can be ordered with one fitted at a 1,000kg rating, and the same for the Y but a 1,600kg rating. However, this won't tick your cheap box, since they are relatively new. But you may get lucky SH?

I doubt the Cybertruck will be sold in the UK, but that would give you storage, loads of seats, and somewhere in the range of 3,500kg to 5,200kg of towing depending on the number of motors.

I've only done simple towing, with an upto 1tn small trailer, and a turbo-diesel Vauxhall, but have to agree with others that towing with a BEV would be excellent, all that torque at 'zero' rpm. Not towing, but when I shove ~375kg of wood pellets in the Y, I get excellent energy efficiency, as the company is based about 400m above sea level, but my house and the animal rescue is close to sea level. So ~350Wh/mile on the way up, and about 150Wh/mile on the return leg ....... if I read lights and roundabouts correctly and regen only.

I don't know how much off-road potential you need, but I think a BEV van might work well, since vans tend to have decent ground clearance. On that point, the Tesla 3 is particularly low slung. Ours would occassionaly touch its belly when pulling into our drive, as it's quite steep (downwards) so as the front gets lower and lower, the belly could touch, before the rear wheels leave the flat pavement/drive section.

[Marcus]

Cheers. Tbh, whilst having a big powerful 4x4 suv would occasionally be handy, along with the ability to tow a big trailer, i find it hard to justify driving such a vehicle when 98% of the time something smaller would suffice.

So I'm trying to get a list of vehicles i can be 'on the lookout for' that are suitable for work, capable of towing a small 750kg trailer as a minimum. The heaviest load i would like to be able to tow would be a medium livestock trailer with a dexter cow (almost certainly within 1800kg), but as that's a very occasional requirement i might go for something smaller and rely on bunging a mate a beer and some diesel money when i need something heavier moving (that's how i manage now).

[Ken]

But dont you need weight and 4WD ? Like a Ford truck with V2L perhaps written off against tax ? and low benefit in kind. How many miles do you do when not working?

[Marcus]

But dont you need weight and 4WD ? Like a Ford truck with V2L perhaps written off against tax ? and low benefit in kind. How many miles do you do when not working?

Do i?

Nowadays if the vehicle is rated to tow a given weight then it's likely heavy enough to do so safely.

4wd? Well that's nice to have, but i don't need it often enough to justify driving a massive suv on the road. If i really need to go off road i do have a 4wd tractor and a 4wd quadbike, and whilst it is possible to use the tractor on road, as an 'agricultural vehicle' you're limited in how far you can legally go from your base. I think.

I try not to need to pay that much tax. Not many miles (80-90% work).

[Oliver90owner]

Do remember that with a small battery, in the cold, braking from high speed with a virtually fully charged battery may easily exceed the regen capacity of the vehicle. plenty of regen from an unbraked trailer, but less from a trailer with good over-run brakes.

AWD is good in difficult conditions and towing something the shape of a caravan would greatly reduce the range, particularly at high speed. I like my Ioniq 5 AWD. Bigger and rather less efficient than the Kona (my original choice), but with a good-sized boot, and with sufficient towing capacity for me.