Towing with EV
 

I’d welcome any tips or insights from anyone with experience towing with their Volvo EV. I’m guessing hitching a caravan will roughly halve the range. Anything else I should be aware of? Car is XC40 Recharge Twin. Thanks

I can't help directly as my car is different and I don't tow! but ...

When I got my diesel twin engine, I had a good scout around YouTube, and people like Practical Caravan did tests on it while towing a caravan - stability, running on electric only, range, acceleration etc. I'm sure they do the same on the XC40 if you search it different ways?

I did see the new iX5(?) BMW on a towing test last week where the range was under half.

Have a look at this video from PetrolPed -



https://youtu.be/0oLeKRNsSn4

Really good video relating to EV towing

ive linked that video above, i commented on that initial video, imagine the range, with a fully loaded car with a family of 4, bikes on the roof, and a van that was loaded for a couple of weeks away! Imagine the range then!

There is a chap on the caravan club forum who sings the praises and virtues on towing with his polestar. But he is also quite happy to stop every 120 miles to recharge. These recharges involve disconnecting the caravan to get access to the charging points.

Some sites / clubs now charge a premium for charging EV's via your electric hook-up

Andrew Ditton on youtube has done some great open and honest EV towing vids on YT but he does travel light and solo.

There is no denying the instant very high torque of an EV is very enticing but it just means you get to the next recharging queue sooner.

This Volvo is what You need to avoid range issues

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wlHqyr...NhbCBjYXJhdmFu

Oh my word - that's a world of pain I never thought of... arrive at motorway services, park in caravan parking, unhitch car, drive around to charging points, queue, charge, re-attached caravan if someone hasn't stolen it or blocked it in, do another 100 miles, repeat, come home to 10 x 2 Parking Charge Notices for exceeding the 2 hour stay.....

Why on earth would anyone want to put themselves through that?

Quite!🤷*♂️

Personally I'm going to resist going ev for as long as possible. Hoping hydrogen comes main stream before I really need to change from petrol/diesel. I can understand the need for the environmently issues but when you really look into it beyond the hype an EV isn't really much different environmently than a petrol car. Yes the actual inuse emissions is a lot better but the take into the manufacturing especially of the batteries the need to produce the power which is never going to be fully green even with the government pulling the con trick of classing nuclear as "green"and setting up the infostructure.
From what I see the best thing environmental is to buy a second petrol car and fix it with recycled parts until hydrogen powered cars come online. Of course with the UK misinvesting so much of our money into EVs and ignoring hydrogen UK will be left behind again.

As others have said, towing even a small caravan with an EV is a joke and highly impractical. You will be lucky to get half the normal range if you are towing, and having to stop so frequently and disconnect the trailer to charge is not a fun experience. Yes it is possible, but any trip will be needlessly elongated by constant charging stops and the faff that goes along with it adding hours to any journey time.