Towcar of the year awards '23 -EVs abound
I was really please to see the number of EVs in the awards this year, with my own (Polestar 2) taking the spot for the EV Towcar category. Whilst they are still expensive, in the class 5 (1500kg - 1700kg) category (won by the XC40 EV) there were two Hyundais, The Santa Fe and Ioniq5, at almost the same price - the EV being slightly cheaper, and only a smidge more than the Skoda Superb.
There is a great article on Caravan Times, here, by one of the judges from the competition which makes for interesting reading.
As summarised by Andrew Ditton in his latest video, if you can live with the drawbacks around towing while charging, and range on a single charge, they really do work.
The UK charging infrastructure still has a way to go, but is improving daily, and as time passes we are going to see more in the used market - and I think the understanding of battery life will grow to the point of trust for their lifetime.
I think the future for caravaning after 2030 is looking bright.
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What’s absolutely clear is that EVs are far superior to combustion engine cars for towing in terms of physical characteristics- weight distribution, torque etc. Cost remains an issue and, of course, range but this is gradually improving. I have owned an EV for nearly 4 years and would not for one moment consider replacing it with a conventional car or hybrid. Can’t see me buying a battery Motorhome for a while though!
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Is the van a contender for TCOY? If not, your post doesn’t seem relevant to the OP.
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As with TW above, not really sure what your point is.....?
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/08/17/the-future-of-teslas-mobile-service-fleet/
I see loads of service vans running around in the UK built by a different manufacturer to the vehicles they are servicing. The van operator has a business to run and will choose the size and type of vehicle that suits his needs...........
However, if your point is that you don't like EV's, that sadly is your loss. They're brilliant & their coming, whether you like it or not........
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Yes, EVs are coming 👍🏻
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I’m sure ChocT will sort you out.
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120 to 140 for me - which is 2 to 2 3/4 hours. Plenty before I need a break.
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So why post incorrect info?🤷🏻♂️
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4000 miles in 43 days. Less than 100 miles a day on average!😁🤣
Of course- I am sure that is not what you have done, but it’s entirely possible. But as I said at the start, the choice is there if you can live with the constraints.
For anyone picking a car that is 90% towing and 10% running around, and towing 10k miles a year - it’s probably not right.
For those that need a car the occasionally tows, the options are increasing. That’s got to be a good thing.
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Glad I didn’t disappoint 🤣🤣🤣😁👍
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Yes, at which point we take a break and recharge.
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Miles per kw vary just as miles per gallon do so you can’t say 140 miles will definitely completely empty the battery. Unlike most ICE cars, an EV will display a pretty reliable figure of the miles still available in the battery.
At the end of the day, it’s what suits the individual and ChocT is happy and he’s providing us with a lot of useful info. Obviously some people aren’t interested in EVs and that’s their choice but they still seem to keep reading the posts nevertheless.
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As TW says, it depends. Personally I have never got to less than about 8-10% battery (something like 12 to 14 miles range) before deciding it was time to stop anyway.
Honestly, after 100 miles towing, we are ready for a break.How long does it take to recharge? About as long as it takes for all of us to use the loo, have something to eat and stretch our legs. It does depend on the charger, the car, the conditions and potentially if someone else is using a charger too.
Do we ever hang around waiting for the car to finish charging? Occasionally, but that is measured in minutes , usually no longer than you might hang around waiting for a fuel tank to fill.
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I'm very interested in Evs and the technology they employ contrary to suggestions above. The key areas that are important to me are range by that I mean real world of 150miles towing at 60mph with a reasonable reserve margin for diversions or adverse weather of 35 miles or so. Ease and availability of charging without having to unhitch. CTs reports show it's nearly there regards range (120-130miles @56mph ish)albeit running pretty close on reserve mileage,(13-20miles) something that would give me the jitters. Charging infrastructure is clearly not yet caravan friendly maybe the advent of EV trucks will sort this. I for one won't be one of the brave early adopters risking my own money as there will possibly be rapid development in the next few years. The cars however seem very capable, the batteries .need an energy density increase of 30-50% IMO to be ideal for towing. Technology for towing might be optimised by the cars control electronics for additional regenerative braking on hills to utilise the caravans mass, something again that could be borrowed from EV trucks adding range.
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Mine is not a tow car so I can't contribute on that front but it's returning very good battery mileage solo and we often achieve more than its max range of 300 miles due to the very effective regeneration braking. Like all cars, it depends how you drive it.
Adding regen capability from the trailer is a tricky one as that's going to add weight and could be self defeating. However, there are some clever boffins at work so we'll watch and wait.
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That's a useable solo mileage. Regards the regenerative braking I was thinking that the towing vehicle could have a towing mode that mimics what most do when descending hills, gently reduce speed by about 5mph So if cruise is set to 60 gentle regenerative braking is applied reducing speed slightly.Slowing the combined mass of the car and van on the descent would give an additional battery boost extending range. I guess the sort of tweeks that will come in time.
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It's very usable and we deliberately chose the larger 64kw battery option for that reason. Living in a hilly area, we gain terrifically going downhill but the snag is having to go uphill on the return journey😄
I'm sure there will be many tweaks and developments in coming years.
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That’s exactly what mine already does. Whenever you gently break, as long as you don’t t brake hard enough to activate the caravan overrun breaks, the EV is recovering energy from slowing the combined mass of the outfit. If you have cruise set, then it automatically breaks (using regen) to keep you at the speed limit, even if on a downhill slope. As a result, in my experience, towing over hills makes no appreciable difference to range. Whatever you loose on the way up, you gain back on the way down.
It’s worth noting for those who have never driven an EV (or hybrid) regen is always enabled. Whenever you use the break pedal, or invoke “engine breaking” (by whatever mode your EV has), regen will be used preferentially over the friction brakes.
Friction breaks are generally only used for very aggressive breaking (more than regen alone can deliver) or at very low speed when coming to a halt.
The new Polestar 3 has just been launched, and is going to make a fantastic tow car. I have year to hear it’s tow-ball weight, but am expecting 100kg. The towing limit will be 2,200kg, and with a 111kWh battery, I am expecting a towing range of close to 200 miles.
The only downside is it’s a very luxury vehicle, starting at an eye watering £80k, putting it on a par with a fully loaded XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid, or a RangeRover.
Looking forward to seeing reviews on it!0
