Tesla Model Y RWD towing efficiency. What loss in range can you expect? I test it.

[@GoGreenAutos]

It's clear now I have a typo in the results text. I can't change this without deleting the video and uploading again. The results where..... Trip 1 no trailer: 217 wh/mi = 4.61 mpkWh Trip 2 empty trailer: 459 wh/mi = 2.18 mpkWh (mpkWh was wrong on screen) Trip 3 full trailer: 443 wh/mi = 2.26 mpkWh So the results are the same. The difference between an empty trailer and a loaded trailer (with ~1 tonne in it) was almost nothing. The car was reporting I used 16kWh on trip 2 and 15kWh on trip 3, hence why I was saying I used less energy. Put of course the car is only reporting who numbers and not fractions.

[@Ambienfinity]

That is surprising, I must say -- I expected some kind of correlation between 2 and 3 in terms of proportional load / drag. Interesting.

[@neilthomas2717]

I have a rwd Model Y and tow a Swift Vogue 510 caravan which weighs approximately 1400kg. I have just returned from a 96 mile trip where we averaged 399 Wh/mile, arriving home with 30% battery remaining. The trip was mainly on motorways where I was able to follow lorries. This does slightly restrict the speed I could travel at, but only by a small amount as I am restricted to 60 mph. As you mention I beleive that aerodynamics play a major role in amount of energy is used. Having a lorry punch a hole in the air certainly helps the efficiency of my Model Y.

[@GoGreenAutos]

Good to know, thanks. I've just bought a covered car trailer which is about the same size and shape as a caravan, so a future video this summer on towing that with the Model Y.

[@musician_halo991]

I just ordered a rear wheel drive and I'm worried that it won't be able to tow a trailer because u-haul doesn't support rear wheel drive.

[@GoGreenAutos]

@@musician_halo991 Towing is no different between the LR and RWD. The LR car drives in RWD most the time too, unless there's wheel spin or on hard acceleration (which you won't be doing while towing).

[@IslaSprollie]

Great to know. Our Kia Carens diesel does around 500+ motorway miles without towing but when towing only does 300, with a 1400kg caravan. I'm swapping to a model Y soon. We regularly tow from Sheffield to Cornwall. I can't wait, apart we will probably have to unhitch at superchargers. The other 99% of the time it will be a much better car. My Honda e and Kangoo ZE van already are ! Do you have to unhitch at many superchargers?

[@GoGreenAutos]

@@IslaSprollie I've not yet had to rapid charge while towing. But while there are some sites with one or two pull through Superchargers, most are not.

[@terrymackenzie6784]

A bit of dyslexia rules KO i think, 459 Wh/mi is 2.18 mi/kWh not 2.81. The weight on the trailer will not give you any more regen because unlike the car brakes the friction braking on the trailer will always be applied. Good video always wantted to know what happens when you tow. Do you have a bike carrier would be good to see what affect that has as thinking of getting tow hitch fitted to my EV.

[@GoGreenAutos]

Bike carrier video already in the works.

[@shanemartin56]

I regularly drive around Devon and Cornwall with a 1.6t box trailer attached. The range roughly gets halved whether loaded or not.

[@StephanPluemer]

Ive i Drive with my Autotrailer, empty i need Around 22kwh / 100km, but i drive then 85-87 km/h on german Autobahn ...

[@FFVoyager]

At the normal road speeds you were travelling I think it's amazing that 'aerodynamics' has that much effect! (BTW 4:31 Highway Code Rule 163 - 1.5m? 🤔)

[@GoGreenAutos]

As I've shown on another recent video, even changing the wheel covers on a Model Y, can give you 10-12 miles more range! All these little aero changes have a noticeable effect.

[@FFVoyager]

@@GoGreenAutos indeed, but whole vehicle benefits are generally seen at higher speeds!

[@mauricewatts2380]

Good practical video. Thank you. Why don't ICE car drivers put up figures for their cars when towing?

[@GoGreenAutos]

Thanks.

[@IslaSprollie]

Our Kia Carens diesel does around 500+ motorway miles without towing but when towing only does 300, with a 1400kg caravan. I'm swapping to a model Y soon. We regularly tow from Sheffield to Cornwall. I can't wait, apart we will probably have to unhitch at superchargers. The other 99% of the time it will be a much better car. My Honda e and Kangoo ZE van already are !

[@Sp_75-76]

Your figures are incorrect 1 / .459 = 2.17 miles per kWh , 1/.443 = 2.26 miles per kWh

[@GoGreenAutos]

I've corrected my typo now as a pinned comment.

[@briangriffiths114]

As a retired engineer, I find this kind of video fascinating and the difference between 2.18 and 2.26 miles per kWh is negligible, as you state.

[@GoGreenAutos]

Considering I was pulling near 1 tonne, the difference is nothing. Simply stopping at a junction where before it might have been free to continue, could result in the same.

[@judebrown4103]

Fascinating video, cheers Matt very useful experiment.👍

[@GoGreenAutos]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jessicaboon8864]

Really interesting, thanks. Unfortunately not sure what we can do to replace the current ICE for towing the laden caravan when the time comes 🤔

[@roberthodge2771]

Subaru Forester 2009 of mine: + 763 lb boat and trailer with 2 men and fishing gear. Cost me 52% more fuel to go to a local lake that without the boat and trailer. Bet this Tessla did not as good and I had neat without running out of power !

[@porthmeor1]

Where you going to put the trailer when you recharge?

[@GoGreenAutos]

Not needed to yet, but if I need to charge when towing, the trailer will have to be parked up in a parking space.

[@rtfazeberdee3519]

Are your Mile per kWh calculations correct (I don't understand them)? It looked to me that you did more miles with the unladen trailer (2.81) than you did with the laden one (2.26) even though you used less kWh

[@oldgitflying]

I think trip 2 was 2.18 m/kwh, fat finger moment on the keyboard? Glad I'm not the only sado that watched to the end and checked the maths. Seriously though, very interesting study. My EVs max towed weight unfortunately is only 500 kg.

[@srbs73]

Yeah, I noticed that typo. Got the 8 and 1 the wrong way round which was interesting in that you are better off with a loaded trailer

[@GoGreenAutos]

I've corrected my typo now as a pinned comment and explained why I was saying it used less energy loaded, as I was looking at what the car reported.

[@srbs73]

@@GoGreenAutos Loaded / unloaded is negligible which is interesting. I’ve got an i4 with a towbar and hiring a horse trailer next Wednesday to test out the impact on range. Hopefully it’s the same experience in that I’ll probably be down around 1.5m / kWh compared to around 3.3 when not towing.

[@GoGreenAutos]

@@srbs73 Let me know how you get on.

[@Nikoo033]

Expected result indeed. People have done videos with an Ioniq 28 fully loaded with people and boot full versus just one driver and there is indeed no difference in consumption/efficiency.

[@GoGreenAutos]

Not seen that one. But yes, a lot is always said about weight, but drag has much more of an effect.

[@mondotv4216]

I think what happened is with the weight in the trailer you've lowered the profile of the trailer so aero improved a bit. Interestingly I think because Tesla's start off with very good aero, they pay a heavier price for a trailer than a less efficient vehicle. For example - I did some towing in my BYD Atto 3 with 7x5 trailer last week - now it's not as heavy as your trailer being a single axle and a foot shorter but there actually wasn't a huge impact on efficiency - with the cover on it went from about 14kWh per 100km up to about 19kWh per 100km with about 200kg on board one way - the cover comes up to about the same height as the vehicle in a tent shape (not very aero). The next day I helped my daughter move a fridge and a lounge and other bits an pieces without the cover. Averaged between 17 and 18kWh per 100km. The max speed on would have been 90km/h but the average speed for the second day would only have been about 40km/h. The efficiency of the Atto 3 drops dramatically - to about that 18-19kWh per 100km when highway driving at 110kmh. So the trailer had about the same effect as highway driving.

[@GoGreenAutos]

I don't think my trailer lowered with the weight on it as the leaf springs are so stiff. It can take 2,200kg and I was putting less than half that on it. But you're right about the Tesla probably being affected more than other EVs. Teslas are very aerodynamic and efficient and anything that affects the aero will have a more noticeable drop in efficiency. Even changing the wheel trims can make quite a difference.

[@graemewhitehead6233]

The battery % / range is RATED range (WLTP / EPA), minus any battery degradation - it doesn’t adjust for driving style. If you want to see actual range based on driving style, use the trip graph and 5/15/30mile average. Well documented on Tesla forums. Great video & interesting results!

[@GoGreenAutos]

Yeah, as I said that I thought that's probably not right. I drive other EVs which do, more than the Tesla.

[@Jaw0lf]

Interesting to know. Thanks for this test. Result 2 should be less than 3 for the Miles/kWh as you achieved a lower wh/mile.

[@GoGreenAutos]

I've corrected my typo now as a pinned comment.

[@firstsurname9709]

Nice video as usual make one about sc01 to sc05 please if it was worth it cost wise and all that please. Factor in depreciation

[@GoGreenAutos]

I will do.

[@robfee2065]

Interesting great video- have you tried charging with a trailer or caravan

[@GoGreenAutos]

No not yet. That video will come at some point in the future. You just have to park up and leave your trailer/caravan in a parking space while you charge. Very few chargers have pull through bays.

[@andyjdhurley]

I've often wondered about our trailer and the efficiency difference as I can barely notice any MPG change with any of the cars we have had over the decades (not yet got an EV but I expect I will see a measurable change then). It's a single axle unbraked Brenderup 1255 with the fibreglass aero cover which you are welcome to borrow for a test but we are in NW Essex so maybe a bit far, hopefully there is someone closer.

[@GoGreenAutos]

Thank you for the offer, but yes too far. My trailer, being braked, open and having the upright ramp on the rear is probably going to be about the worse when it comes to aero and efficiency.

[@IslaSprollie]

Our Kia Carens diesel does around 500+ motorway miles without towing but when towing only does 300, with a 1400kg caravan. I'm swapping to a model Y soon. We regularly tow from Sheffield to Cornwall. I can't wait, apart we will probably have to unhitch at superchargers. The other 99% of the time it will be a much better car. My Honda e and Kangoo ZE van already are !

[@christianmarler21]

Great test. Could you do a caravan one too please. My Audi Etron consumption was the same as yours with a trailer but when it was without a trailer.

[@GoGreenAutos]

I don't own a caravan, so can't do that! Yes, the Etron is known to be one of the least efficient and the Model Y one of the best.

[@JonathanPriceUK]

@christianmarler21 We tow A 2023 Bailey Discovery D4-4L with our 2020 Model 3 Long Range. Range is approximately halved at motorway speeds … slowing down extends the range significantly when needed.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Great test 👌 👏

[@GoGreenAutos]

Thanks Jonathan.

[@fazerrider8872]

Around 1300kg would be a smallish caravan weight, would be interesting to see how a caravan would affect efficiency too.

[@GoGreenAutos]

The size and shape of the caravan will have more of an effect on efficiency than the weight. A caravan could be more aerodynamic than the trailer. I suspect it will be. But the general rule is that towing halves your efficiency, so it will probably be very similar to what I found. In my test, no trailer used 7kWh. An empty trailer used 16kWh. Maybe it would be 12-14 with a caravan?

[@RichardBrooklyn]

​​@@GoGreenAutosI tow a caravan and get similar results to you. About 2.2 miles per kWh normally. I got down to 1.7 miles per kWh when towing in strong winds, but that's abnormal. Even solo the car would have taken a hit in efficiency in that wind. We assume 1% battery is 1 mile. This is pessimistic but allows for planning the route and making sure I add charging stops if necessary.

[@IslaSprollie]

@@RichardBrooklyn Good to know as we are swapping from a Kia diesel to a Model Y soon. We have a 1500kg caravan and regularly tow from Sheffield to Cornwall, roughly 330 miles. I have been looking at the superchargers relative to the caravan parking, when going to/from Cornwall a few weeks ago and some service areas are better than others. Hopwood Park on the M42 looks like it would be easy but at Taunton Deane on the M5 you would not be able to get back to re-hitch the van. How do you find it?

[@fire_stick]

That mesh on the back will be adding a lot of drag, like dragging a net through the air.could try unladen with and without the back attached.

[@GoGreenAutos]

You can't remove it. Well not without a lot of work. I've replaced the hinge pins when I fitted a new floor and it was a struggle.

[@ohyesitsme]

Although I never pull a trailer I found it interesting that a the load did not effect the efficiency. What happened to the black wheel trims?

[@GoGreenAutos]

This was filmed before I changed the wheel trims. Videos are not released in the order I film them. I have some videos which are now over a year old which still haven't been released yet.

[@andrewgardner7104]

All good info 👍

[@GoGreenAutos]

Thanks 👍