Some time ago, I viewed videos on how electric pickup trucks were no good where it came to practical trailer towing. The argument wasn't that they didn't have the might to tow trailers, but that the battery capacity to tow over several hours just wasn't in them. I realized that electric vehicles (EVs) have different constraints and variables than interior combustion engine vehicles (ICE). So, should an EV tow an ICE trailer, or should we develop EV Trailers tailored for EV cars and trucks? Let's explore this crazy idea, shall we?
Traditional trailers usually consist of a frame, wheels, brake lights and running lights and a hitch to connect to the car or truck at the bare minimum. Larger trailers also include an electric braking system that you have to connect to your towing vehicle. That system usually uses a 12-volt battery. Campers have their own batteries as well along with other possible systems for the kitchen like a natural gas stove. On my old family farm, we used to have a dumping trailer that not only had a brake system but would dump its load using an electric motor like a dump truck. Batteries on trailers are nothing new.
Let’s talk connectors. People who are accustom to hitching trailers are no strangers to also connecting electric wires together between the trailer and the towing vehicle. They’re always needed whether you’re charging the battery in the trailer or you just need them for the brake light and signals. Upgrading these connectors to what is needed for EV battery charging between the trailer and the towing vehicle should be a straight-forward process from the driver’s point of view. So this is a no brainer and nothing to worry about.
The range is the big thing. What does it look like when and EV pulls an ICE trailer? I pulled some data from the web on probably the most talked about EV on the market, Tesla Model 3. Sure, this data is rough and my calculations are rough because I don’t have all the variables, but the results serve the purpose of this post. Tesla 3 has about 26 kilowatts per hour for 100 miles. It also weighs about 3777.5 lbs. A small trailer camper weighs about 2000 lbs and then you have to add 1000 lbs for gear. That’s 3000 lbs it has to pull. Assuming it can pull it, I hope so, the range drops by 55%. Wow! I see what people are talking about when it comes to EVs not pulling their weight.
So, what happens when you add a battery pack in the trailer camper? You still have the car’s 26 kilowatts per hour for 100 miles power and you add another 26 kilowatts per hour for 100 miles. You double your power capacity. On the downside, you add weight as well. You add 1054 lbs to your trailer camper weight to bring it to 4054 lbs. Remarkably, my calculations show you have 96% of your range than driving without the trailer. That’s only a 4% drop. This is totally doable.
Are EV trailers in the future? It would seem to make sense. Like I said my numbers and calculations were rough. I just did a simple ratio of kWh and weight. What will a real-world test show? Who knows. I don’t think anyone has done it, at least not with a full-size trailer. EV technology is so different than ICE tech. It’s not very intuitive at all, and I think it’s because we’re not used to it. I mean there’s not equivalent to carrying an extra gas can in the EV world.
Now, does it make sense for car manufacturers to make EV trailers and campers? Maybe or maybe not. Maybe there’s a business model for the smaller companies to cash in on a market here if they can buy battery packs form companies like Tesla.
So, as I wrote this I got thinking that maybe someone already tried this. Sure enough, someone did. Check this video out from Rich Rebuilds on Youtube:
By the way, I'm liking Rich Rebuilds videos. His work is really neat and his take on Tesla is unique.
So, I hope this was thought provoking. This was a crazy idea I had and I come up with them from time to time. If you want to run with this idea give me an email. Thanks for the read.