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This EV Towing Test Left Me SHOCKED – Watch and See Why ! | 4K

I have actually lastly been able to do a variety test video with an towing something big! I managed to get a BMW iX M60 with a tow hitch from BMW UK and the remarkable guys at Chichester Caravans hooked me up with a top of the variety 26 foot long twin axel Swift Opposition caravan. It's an easy format, a 100 mile journey in the iX without the caravan and then the same journey with the caravan. The huge question is what will the difference in battery usage and variety be? Oh an what about charging in public with a caravan connected?
Chichester Caravans
Address: Main Rd, Nutbourne, Chichester PO18 8RL
Phone: 01243 377441
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Video Contents
00:00 – Intro
01:34 – The iX M60 in numbers
03:45 – How am I driving the only test?
07:43 – Look ma no hands!
08:15 – Arriving at the New Forest
11:21 – EV only return journey
13:30 – EV only results
14:38 – DAY 2 – Presenting the caravan
16:03 – Adapting the iX for towing
16:36 – Hitching the van and it's amazing tech!
18:21 – Towing the van to the New Forest
24:41 – Coming to the New Forest and it's bad!
26:40 – Driving house
27:40 – Charging with a van does not work!
30:18 – Arriving home and The Outcomes

#PetrolPed # #EVTowing

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Comments

31 responses to “This EV Towing Test Left Me SHOCKED – Watch and See Why ! | 4K”

  1. Sam Underhill Avatar
    Sam Underhill

    Can you do the same with an ICE vehicle. Physics will be the same I suspect, adding more weight, rolling resistance and air resistance requires more energy input. There’s no getting around it.

    Reply
    1. ma01_456 Avatar
      ma01_456

      Agree. It’s an energy density issue. The 116kWh battery is equivalent to something like 2.37 UK gallons of diesel, so despite all of this technically the Beemer achieved somewhere in the range of 65 miles to the gallon 😂

      Reply
  2. Samieb155 Avatar
    Samieb155

    Evening Pete, Interesting stuff for the Caravan Owners amongst your followers. My prediction was around 50%, but the actual was even worse no surprises though when you have a ‘total weight’ of 4.2 Tonnes. Just shows how far EV motoring has to go before it equals the Petrol/ Diesel Equivalent in my opinion.

    Reply
    1. James Fletcher Avatar
      James Fletcher

      In what world is 1.4m/kWh -v- 2.8m/kWh **not** 50% ????

      It is EXACTLY 50%.

      BTW, 50% is the the average loss of MPG that diesel or petrol cars suffer when towing.

      Reply
    2. Dude On A RT Avatar
      Dude On A RT

      @James Fletcher It didn’t drop by 50% – It doubled so 100% worse!

      Reply
  3. Andrew Little Avatar
    Andrew Little

    Another excellent video. In the past I have towed caravans with a range of vehicles including a Peugeot 405, Rover 75 and a VW Caravelle. You always have a higher fuel consumption figure and the same is to be expected when you tow with an electric vehicle. In theory electric cars should make very good towing vehicles because of their extra weight and low centre of gravity, assuming the batteries a under the floor. The problem, as you and Andrew Ditton who’s a Caravan Journalist who tows with a KIA EV6, have highlighted, is going to be access to public chargers and places like motorway services areas are going to have to install more chargers anyway and include access for electric vehicles towing caravans, horse boxes, etc.

    Reply
    1. James Fletcher Avatar
      James Fletcher

      Andrew Little – at last a person with a sensible approach and a good understanding of towing. Shame Petrol Ped can’t do 5mins of research like I did and find out that petrol and diesel cars average about the same loss of MPG when towing. You can’t argue with physics.

      Reply
    2. Andrew Little Avatar
      Andrew Little

      Thank you for your kind comments. Personally I suspect that the reduction in range has more to do with aerodynamics than the weight of the caravan. I’m thinking of buying a BMW i4 40 (rear wheel drive only) with a 7’6” wide caravan, which I anticipate would need charging every 100-120 miles, which corresponds to comfort and tea breaks, which you should be able to make yourself in the caravan.

      Reply
  4. Nigel K Avatar
    Nigel K

    As a comparison. I have towed with a 2 litre diesel 4wd many thousands of miles with trailers from 1.5t to 2 t and not very aerodynamic ones. My mpg goes from about 44 solo to 30 when towing although I go a little faster. So ICE drops 30 % and it appears EV 50%. Wait till you take one in the mountains.

    Reply
  5. Steve Burland Avatar
    Steve Burland

    Enjoyed that video , but it only confirmed my concerns about public charging and halving the range and you wasn’t fully loaded even more weight for a two week holiday . Maybe a EV camper van would make more sense if they make one yet.🤔👍

    Reply
    1. g hunt Avatar
      g hunt

      They do make them but a realistic 80 mile range only. Far too many charging stops needed to get anywhere worthwhile. Some holiday!

      Reply
  6. steven bennett Avatar
    steven bennett

    Pete. It’s [probably worse than you think. Normally, there would be a family of four I would suggest and all there clothes, food, drink, BBQ and other holiday paraphernalia etc. Still, really good to see a as close as possible real world test given limitations.

    Reply
  7. Slartybartfarst Avatar
    Slartybartfarst

    Thank you for running this test I would have thought 50% reduction in range on our UK roads was in line with the extra work being done here by the EV with the additional weight, rolling resistance and reduced aerodynamics. Running a tow bar on Tesla Model S yet to use in anger…….Ive no idea how you would supercharge!

    Reply
  8. Gothic pagan Avatar
    Gothic pagan

    That is a realistic, real world test. Realistic range is going to be 130-140 miles before range anxiety sets in? Wouldn’t want to go far with that rig; well in reality you couldn’t😂
    What would be the charge time back to 100%?
    Driving from the UK to somewhere like Italy’s lake Garda which is 1200 ish miles, depending on where you live in the UK, is going to take 4 or 5 days each way.
    You’d need a holiday to get over that holiday having spent 10 travelling. Remember its more up hill through France on the way back.

    Reply
  9. Ian McShane Avatar
    Ian McShane

    Interesting. I use a BMW 530d Touring 2018 with a 1500kg van. I reckon I’d get 38 on your trip solo and about 25 with the van, so say a 33% penalty. The EV had a 50% drop. The future doesn’t look to positive does it? Great video. Thank-you.

    Reply
  10. Lee Cannon Avatar
    Lee Cannon

    Brilliant video as always, I was looking forward to this one and it didn’t disappoint 👍 I would love to see a follow up review doing the same ‘before and after’ using a diesel car to show what impact the caravan has. Cheers Lee

    Reply
    1. Constantin Nescu Avatar
      Constantin Nescu

      I have done this multiple times in the recent years as a caravan transporter for a caravan dealer and I can provide you the numbers:
      So before
      Using a Passat and a Mondeo 2,0 l turbodiesel 170 hp respective 160 hp , 130-140 km/h , 6,5 / 6,3 l/ 100 km
      After , caravans with average body lenght of 4,50m , 90-100 km/h you get 10,5 l/ 100 km.
      I hope it was informative. Cheers

      Reply
    2. James Fletcher Avatar
      James Fletcher

      @Constantin Nescu so ~ 40% more fuel consumed, which is in the same ball-park of 50% more energy in Petrol Ped’s “experiment”. PLUS you will have been driving efficiently, prob slip-streaming large vehicles.

      Reply
  11. Peter Cowdell Avatar
    Peter Cowdell

    Brilliant video. Definitely a valid issue on charging whilst towing vs filling with fuel. But regarding range/efficiency, does an ICE not take a 50% hit in MPG whilst towing also?

    Reply
    1. Malph Avatar
      Malph

      Possibly, but only needs a 5 minute refuel and you can keep the van hitched up.

      Reply
  12. Garry Matthews Avatar
    Garry Matthews

    Well done Pete, I thought that was going to be the outcome. Have to say my Jeep and Adria van very slightly longer and the van at least 100kg heavier. I can do a 5 hour journey on three quarter of a tank. It’s going to be long time before towing with an ev is going to be realistic

    Reply
    1. James Fletcher Avatar
      James Fletcher

      Hope I’m no where near you on your 5 hour journey. 2hours is the max recommended for a reason, and unless you are super-human you should stick to it as well.

      Reply
  13. Electric Classic Cars Avatar
    Electric Classic Cars

    I love towing with my EV. So much nicer than a petrol or diesel due to all that instant low down torque and no gears. But having to unhitch to charge up on longer journeys is a pain. Also, you do realise that the fuel efficiency reduction is the same wether it’s electric, petrol or diesel?

    Reply
    1. James Fletcher Avatar
      James Fletcher

      Thank goodness for sense! Efficiency reduction is plain physics, nothing to do with propulsion (EV or ICE)

      Reply
  14. Colin D Avatar
    Colin D

    Appalling lack of chargers at a Motorway services area. Shows just how far the public charging infrastructure still has to go.

    Reply
  15. Alasdair Wilson Avatar
    Alasdair Wilson

    Very interesting vid.Towing is a bit of a no no for electric vehicles at the moment then.Just goes to show how much the infrastructure is going to have to improve.

    Reply
  16. Richard Torr (Tango Seven - T7) Avatar
    Richard Torr (Tango Seven – T7)

    Nice one Ped. I had this dilemma as I’m a glider pilot and tow an 8m trailer to competitions although it’s not as wide and a little lighter. I thought it would be a nightmare charging and range would be halved so opted for the BMW X3 M40i with retractable towbar and did my first competition when the car was a week old and no stress at all. I did wonder if I should have gone for the iX3 but glad you did this video as I know I now made the right decision. Keep up the good work 👍

    Reply
  17. Simon de Haas Avatar
    Simon de Haas

    A lot of charging stations on the continent are moving towards a drive-through design more like a petrol station layout. I think ours need to look like that too before it becomes practical to tow a caravan long distances.

    Reply
  18. g hunt Avatar
    g hunt

    Great vid & as expected, especially the BIG charging problem whilst towing. Imagine a ram packed services during the summer holidays, nightmare! Also most people couldn’t afford an EV with that much range in the first place so the outcome would be a disaster.

    Reply
  19. Michael G Avatar
    Michael G

    Really good video. Expected result and basically caravanning is at the stage EVs we’re in general 10 years ago…low range and pain to charge. Airliner in US are experimenting with Ev powered caravans to overcome this issue! But drive though chargers are more practical for the rest of us.

    Reply
  20. BordersW123 Avatar
    BordersW123

    I used to caravan with my family, my last van was 870kg unloaded and max of 1120kg fully loaded – 6 berth. Can’t quite believe how much they’ve increased in weight in the past 30 years. Manufacturers are going to have to make some serious changes.

    Reply

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