Can you tow with an electric car?

One of the key benefits to driving an electric car is instantly having the full torque output of the engine available at any speed.

And for those who regularly tow a caravan or a trailer – even one that’s loaded with tools, bikes or a boat – that is an attribute that makes light work of a heavy load.

It’s why modern turbo-diesel engines are the powertrain of choice for those who haul.

But, as we stare into the face of a battery-powered future, are EVs actually up to the task of towing?

The short answer is … well, there actually isn’t one.

Firstly, it depends on which EV you’re considering, as some are certified in Australia to be legally fitted with a tow hitch and some are not.

And even among those that are homologated to tow, some can only haul a trailer with electronic brakes.

With every new vehicle sold in Australia, manufacturers are obliged to provide the federal government with key details of every variant for each model in order for them to be certified for sale to the public.

This includes a prescribed maximum towing capacity for both unbraked and braked trailer loads.

The process is the same no matter whether the vehicle has an internal combustion engine, is a hybrid or a full battery-electric vehicle.

The manufacturers will have determined those figures during the vehicle’s testing and development program to ensure it is firstly capable of towing and, secondly, is safe and reliable when doing so.

If the vehicle is certified without a maximum towing capacity – like many of the smaller electric cars (see our list below for more information) – it is not legal for it to be fitted with a tow hitch and therefore cannot haul a trailer.

One of the key reasons for this is that compact electric cars are already quite heavy due to the mass of the battery pack, and adding a loaded trailer would exceed its gross vehicle mass (GVM) and place excessive strain on drivetrain, suspension and braking components.

On top of that, electric motors are designed with regenerative braking capabilities where they harvest energy and top up the battery when the vehicle is decelerating.

Towing a heavy trailer down a hill, or when braking, generates increased kinetic energy that could overpower the electrical system and cause the battery to overheat, which not only damages its long-term health but could lead to a fire.

Those issues have been addressed in the growing league of battery-powered large SUVs – which naturally compete with competent towing alternatives – through advanced liquid cooling systems for the battery pack while the larger mass of the vehicle increases its GVM to cater for heavier loads anyway.

However, even if an EV is certified to tow, they are not yet the ideal solution for cross-country caravanners, as hauling a heavy load requires more energy which results in reduced driving range.

With an internal combustion engine, that means increased fuel consumption. But, considering it takes only a few minutes to fill up and there is a large-scale network of petrol stations across the country, the cost is outweighed by the convenience.

It’s the same with an EV, in that towing will use more battery power and, therefore, slash the vehicle’s driving range.

Because there is a limited number of public charging stations for electric cars – most of which don’t cater for vehicles with trailers at all – and given that it can take more than one hour to recharge the battery, the idealistic notion of an emissions-free caravan tour in the country is, at best, slow.

In the worst case, it’s impossible.

At the moment, towing with an EV is best suited to short-distance trips like a run to the tip, trekking into the hills with a couple of motocross bikes or hauling a jet ski to the boat ramp and back.

But if you look at what’s happening with the popular large truck segment in the US, with vehicles such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T and the polarising Tesla Cybertruck, it won’t be long before tradies, bush bashers and grey nomads go green.

In the end, the laws of physics don’t change between a conventional vehicle and an electric car, and – with certain models – you can tow a trailer behind an EV.

Audi e-tron
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 750kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 1800kg

BMW i3
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 0kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 0kg

Hyundai IONIQ Electric
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 0kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 0kg

Hyundai IONIQ 5 (long-range only)
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 750kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 1600kg

Jaguar I-PACE
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 0kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 0kg

Mercedes-Benz EQA 250
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 750kg*
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 750kg*

Mercedes-Benz EQC 400
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 750kg*
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 1800kg*

MG ZS EV
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 0kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 0kg

Nissan LEAF
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 0kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 0kg

Porsche Taycan
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 0kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 0kg

Tesla Model 3
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 750kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 1000kg

Tesla Model S
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 0kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 0kg

Tesla Model X
Maximum towing capacity (unbraked trailer): 450kg
Maximum towing capacity (braked trailer): 2250kg

* In markets outside Australia, where Mercedes-Benz doesn't not offer a genuine tow pack for the EQA or EQC.