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Rickeoni · 11-29-2019, 09:22 PM

https://youtu.be/-cvNfmL7XQg

Not quite ready for prime time.

Itchytoe · 11-29-2019, 11:59 PM

Yea, but the Almighty Elon will work out all those bugs before anything goes to production. Everyone knows he can do no wrong. [/s]

In all fairness, they basically used a sports car to test offroad and towing ability. That's not exactly an honest or fair trial. A properly set up vehicle would do both of those much better than their little car did. That being said, the issue with range is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed. Real world adoption of electric vehicles in the states is decades away, if it even happens. EVs aren't the magic pill some believe they are.

tuffr2 · 11-30-2019, 07:10 AM

A gas/diesel truck gets appox. 3/5ths the miles towing as it does not towing. If a gas truck can go 100 miles not towing it can go 60 miles towing. So electric vehicles only get 1/3 the miles towing as it gets not towing. So an electric truck than can go 100 miles not towing can go 33 miles towing. That is terrible [emoji107].

I have been watching videos of charging a Tesla with generators and battery packs to increase the range. Bottom line, these methods do not work. You can only increase distance by only a few miles. The charge rates are extremely slow too[emoji107]

TFL is going to try to tow a tiny camper 1,000 miles. That video might be posted by now but I have not seen it yet.

keymastr · 11-30-2019, 06:55 PM

The other problem the manufacturers are not disclosing is how much tongue weight is eaten up by the extra batteries needed to extend the range. Clearly this technology needs a few years at least before this will be viable for small pop up style trailers. It will require the next step in battery type to really be viable. I own a modern hybrid and it is amazing but it is not ready for this, especially without the gas motor to get you out of a jamb in the boonies.

TIME2CAMP · 12-01-2019, 08:21 AM

Didn't watch the whole thing, but it really seems like they picked the worst towing situation they could find. My opinion only but...
I would never tow that big and heavy a trailer with a vehicle of that size.
It would be interesting to see a video of a similar sized ICE powered SUV do that pull.

Yes if you pull a trailer like that bettery power is not the way to go. But work is being done on battery powered big trucks so someone thinks there is a future and is betting money on it. It took 15 years for me to eat my words about Toyota's Prius, but I have. What I thought was a mistake is now what my kids drive and when the outback is gone it will be my next choice.