Your definitive guide to Towing with an Electric Car

Towing with an electric car -your definitive guide

The growth of EVs brings with it new questions, queries and quandaries. Mass-adoption of all electric transport is not easy for every personal or business leasing customer and with each of us having our own needs and requirements, the team at e-car are seeing more and more niche enquiries or bespoke requests arising.

And one of these has been the towing capacity of EVs, with customers asking about the possibility of this facet coupled with capacities and functionality with caravans and trailers. Not only is there is a question surrounding the ability to tow but further questions about the impact on range and driving experience / performance.

For more ardent caravan customers, we have seen far more interrogation as they look to make the electric transition.

So how do I find out about towing - what are the rules and requirements?

To help motorists the guidance is available at the Gov website, with some basic info on “towing with a car”  As highlighted, every car will have a maximum weight they can tow (some cannot tow at all) and the towing weight will be found on the manufacturer’s website, in the handbook or via the “Gross Train Weight” on the VIN.

There are some maximum specifications for a car however, with the max width of a trailer being 2.55 metres and the length (not including the A frame) should be no more than 7 metres (for a vehicle weighing up to 3,500kg). Bear in mind that for those drivers with a licence before 1 January 1997 you will have the ability to drive a vehicle/trailer with a combined weight of up to 8,250kg.

For any drivers with a licence after 1 January 1997, there is a 3,500kg max for a trailer. With regards to towing, you need to ensure that the safety standards and “use” are adhered to correctly otherwise you will be fined up to £2500 and can incur 3 points. So ensure that your tow bar is “type approved” (basically means it meets EU regulations), fit towing mirrors if your trailer/caravan is wider than the rear of your car AND ensure the trailer has a working braking system if it weighs over 750kg when loaded. Please do review the requirements before towing. 

Can you tow with an electric car?

The good news for the Green drivers out there is that a BEV can tow in the same way as a combustion engine can. Not unlike their petrol or diesel counterparts, the vehicle will show you what the EV can achieve in Braked (where a trailer or caravan has its own independent brakes) and Unbraked (where a trailer or caravan does not have its own independent brakes).

In almost all cases, you will be able tow more in “Braked” situations due to the independent braking faculties. Because more leasing brokers utilise CAP data, you will find this information In the Weights and Capacities aspect of their website. To help our e-car lease customers, the EV EPC© will show you the key specifications on every electric vehicle, including the towing weight in braked and unbraked format. It is our opinion that this is something which should be clearly highlighted to a customer at the point of sale.

What key details should I know BEFORE buying or leasing an electric vehicle:

And to help our leasing customers even more, our amazing electric-only website sets out The Best Electric Cars for Towing in 2023 (and beyond) so that you can make a decision based on your needs and requirements. Setting out the maximum Braked capacity, you can quickly see that there is a litany of EVs which can tow more than 1500kg … at the time of writing there are around 20 options to choose from! And as at 2023, the best towing EV is the BMW iX SUV with an immense 2500kg capacity!  For more details just check out our amazing electric car towing tools below:

The Best Electric Cars for Towing in 2023

But won't the towing impact the range of the EV?

This is something which does need careful consideration as part of the suitability process. While most customers using our e-car website are made aware that the external temperature and driving style will impact range - see Real World Range on each deal - there is no official data on exactly how the weight will impact your range.

But, to be clear, with weight, temperature and driving speeds/behaviour impacting the EVs range, the addition of towing will have a corresponding impact. The obvious point is that many caravaners will travel around the UK as part of the holiday and adventure, so the distance being travelled is likely to be higher in this situation.

To overcome this, EV customers are encouraged to utilise the charge point location app - Zap Map  and to plan their routes accordingly. We also suggest that these customers ensure that the campsites they utilise have a dedicated EV charge point facility.

Using a 3-pin plug is not a good solution and should only be utilised in emergency situations. Under each EV the e-car website sets out the Charge Times, with the obvious issue being that a wall plug (at 2.3 kW) will take 20 - 40 hours to fully charge your car from 0 - 100%.

For more nervous customers, we suggest that - 1) they use a monthly flexi-lease arrangement on an EV to test the experience whilst utilising their caravan or trailer; or 2) hire a petrol or diesel combustion vehicle for long distance towing journeys.

If you, the fleet manager or your driver needs assistance with electric car towing, just contact our expert team.

In terms of the car shown, the Kia NIRO EV ESTATE 150kW 3 64kWh 5dr Auto (Pure Electric Vehicle), this is based on the following configuration:

•  Premium paint - Runway red
•  Cloth/Artificial leather – Black
• 17" alloy wheels
• Type 2 charging cable (Suitable for Public charging and home wallbox charger – Fast charging) 

So how does the Kia Niro perform - is it a good car?

The Niro EV uses a 64.8 kWh usable battery which will deliver 150kW (or 201hp), 0 - 62 times of 7.8 seconds and top speeds of 104 mph. Combined real ranges are at 200 miles in cold weather and 270 miles in warmer weather (on a full charge). In terms of charging times / capabilities - the standard  11 kW AC max allows a 0 - 100% session in around 7 hours with the 80 kW DC rapid charge enabling 41 minute 10 - 80% times.

A monumental 475L cargo volume is available with this SUV. And for any caravan / trailer customers needing towing capabilities - the Niro will enable 750 kg (braked) and the 300 kg (unbraked). If you are looking at the Niro then also consider the Cupra Born, Vauxhall Mokka-e and MG ZS.