Ever since Tesla’s first arrived on the scene, Can-Am RV Centre has had many inquiries about towing with them. We knew the Tesla would handle amazing and have an abundance of power - the issue is range.
What has changed are two factors; Tesla’s Supercharger stations will charge much faster than they used to and there are many more of them. Our theory is that you will be able to travel at 55 MPH (90KMPH) for 2 hours, charge for one hour and then, travel again. So, every three hours, you will be able to travel 100 miles (160 kms). Towing with a Tesla will be a different travelling experience but it could actually be quite relaxing, as well.
If you are driving a Tesla solo, you have to wait in the car or a coffee shop while it charges. But, if you have a trailer, you can make dinner, have a nap or generally relax. We think that means that you will be able to travel for a much longer day and still be able to travel four or five hundred miles a day.
Over the next year, we will do some additional testing to see if this theory is correct.
The ironic thing is, this car has massive power but you have to discipline yourself not to use all of its capability or your range will be shortened too far. You really must use cruise control. It accelerates so effortlessly with the trailer attached.
The Tesla Battery pack is in the floor between the axles resulting in perfect balance and the lowest centre of gravity of pretty much any vehicle. The spring and shock rates are about perfect for towing. The steering is direct and responsive and the tire and wheel package almost perfect as well. The handling is quite amazing - likely the safest tow vehicle you can use.
Of course, you must have as aerodynamic a trailer as possible, such as an Airstream or Alto. This Airstream is a stock model but there are things we can do to further improve the aerodynamics and towing ease.
So why the Model 3? Why not wait a couple of years for the Cyber Truck which will have a longer range? Part of our reasoning is that a big part of your travel time is going to be recharging, the Cyber Truck is going to use more energy so also need more recharging time to travel the same distance.
The Tesla or other EVs won't be the solution for everyone of course. Each individual has different needs and desires, but for some people this will be the way of the future.
Stay tuned. We will let you know our results over the next couple of years.
UPDATE: We towed the Airstream 22 Bambi from London to Toronto with 64 kms to spare on one charge. We did have a light tail-wind varying from 12 - 18 kph.
