Why Are Electric Cars Not Ideal For Towing

Are you planning to replace your car with an electric or hybrid one? An increasing number of motorists are these days considering either a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric model for their next car, replacing diesel or gasoline. While this can be a huge help in cutting pollution and ensuring you have an affordable car to run, what if you often tow a caravan, horsebox, or heavy trailer?

But while many see electric cars as the future of transportation, there are still some obstacles and question marks about whether they’re actually practical for ordinary drivers, particularly if you’re a family looking to tow a trailer or caravan for a holiday.

While it’s technically possible to tow using an electric car, there are a lot of gray areas you should be aware of before hitching up a trailer or caravan.

Can Electric Cars Be Used to Tow?

There are several reasons why electric cars aren't approved to tow. There are some very good reasons for this. We will discuss them one by one.

• Weight - The first is to do with the weight of an electric car. They already weigh more than equivalent gasoline or diesel-powered cars because of their heavy batteries. Added weight from the caravan or trailer would affect things like the brakes – they wouldn’t be as effective and might struggle to cope with the even heavier load.

• Range - Most often, towing can take long trips, which can be difficult in an electric car. Not only would drivers have to recharge regularly, but they'd also face significantly shorter real-world range than the car's published figure due to the added weight of the other vehicle. The extra weight could also strain the electric motors.

• Regenerative Braking Systems -  There is the issue of regenerative braking systems that slow electric cars quickly to recapture kinetic energy as electricity and charge the battery. The more extreme settings of these systems might cause the towed vehicle to behave in an unexpected way when the car slows as a result of the driver lifting off the throttle. 

Towing Capacity in Electric Cars

Electric car towing can be a confusing topic. Motorists have been told time and time again that one of the great things about electric cars (also called as EVs) is that all of the power from their electric motors is available instantly. This differs from gasoline and diesel cars, where you need to get the engine spinning relatively fast to produce maximum power.

Smaller EVs and hybrids don’t offer a towing capacity, but several other electrified vehicles on the market can reliably carry a load. Towing something requires a lot of energy and using more energy in an electric car means you reduce the distance you can travel per charge - something that is already a concern for many potential electric car drivers, even those who don't even plan to tow.

With this being said, you can just count on reliable towing services in Cape Coral. There are plenty of car towing services, but the most reliable one is Cape Coral Towing and Recovery, Inc. 

Call a towing service as soon as you need help. Wherever in Southwest Florida, we will come to you and respond to your towing needs! Contact Cape Coral Towing and Recovery, Inc. at 239-458-3333 / 239-656-4030 as your towing contractor in Florida!