Can you tow a boat with an electric car?

For those who regularly tow a boat – or even a caravan, a trailer loaded with tools or a motorbike – it's an attribute that makes light work of a heavy load. 

It’s why modern turbo-diesel engines are the powertrain of choice for those who haul.

But, as we stare into the face of a battery-powered future, are EVs actually up to the task of towing?

The short answer is ... well, there actually isn’t one. 

It depends on which EV you’re considering. Some are certified in Australia to be legally fitted with a tow hitch, and some are not. The question has even confused Australia's Prime Minister.

Even among those homologated to tow, one of them can only hitch up if the trailer is fitted with electronic brakes.

Car brands are obliged to provide the Federal Government with key details of every variant for each model in order for them to be certified for sale in Australia. 

This includes a prescribed maximum towing capacity for both unbraked (dinghy-sized) and braked (trailer boat-sized) trailer loads.

The process is the same no matter whether the vehicle has an internal combustion engine, is a hybrid or a full battery-electric vehicle.

The manufacturers will have determined those figures during the vehicle’s testing and development program to ensure it is capable of towing and stay safe and reliable when doing so.

If the vehicle is certified without a maximum towing capacity – like many of the smaller electric cars (see our list below for more information) – it is not legal for it to be fitted with a tow hitch and therefore it cannot haul a trailer.

A key reason for this is that compact electric cars are already quite heavy due to the mass of the battery pack, and adding a loaded trailer would exceed its gross vehicle mass (GVM) and place excessive strain on the drivetrain, suspension and braking components.

On top of that, electric motors are designed with regenerative braking capabilities where they harvest energy and top up the battery when the vehicle is decelerating. 

Towing a heavy trailer down a hill, or when braking, generates increased kinetic energy that could overpower the electrical system and cause the battery to overheat, which not only damages its long-term health but could lead to a fire.

The growing league of battery-powered large SUVs – which naturally compete with competent towing alternatives – has addressed those issues through advanced liquid cooling systems for the battery pack, while the larger mass of the vehicle increases its GVM to cater for heavier loads anyway.

However, even if an EV is certified to tow, it is not yet the ideal solution for big trips to distant boat ramps, as hauling a heavy load requires more energy which results in reduced driving range.

With an internal combustion engine, that means increased fuel use. But considering it takes only a few minutes to fill up and there is a large-scale network of petrol stations across the country, the cost is outweighed by the convenience.

It’s the same with an EV, in that towing will use more battery power and, therefore, slash the vehicle’s driving range.

Because there is a limited number of public charging stations for electric cars – most of which don’t cater for vehicles with trailers at all – and given that it can take more than one hour to recharge the battery, the idealistic notion of an emissions-free trip up the coast is, at best, slow. 

In the worst case, it’s impossible.

At the moment, towing with an EV is best suited to short-distance trips such as a run to the tip, trekking into the hills with a couple of motocross bikes or hauling a jet ski to the boat ramp and back.

But if you look at what’s happening with the popular large truck segment in the US, with vehicles such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T and the polarising Tesla Cybertruck, it won’t be long before tradies, bush bashers and grey nomads go green.

In the end, the laws of physics don’t change between a conventional vehicle and an electric car, and – with certain models – you can tow a trailer behind an EV.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 (long-range only)
Towing capacity: 0kg (unbraked)/1600kg (braked)

Mercedes-Benz EQC 400
Towing capacity: 750kg (unbraked)/1800kg (braked)

Tesla Model X
Towing capacity: 450kg (unbraked)/2250kg (braked)

BMW i3
Hyundai IONIQ Electric
Jaguar I-PACE
Mercedes-Benz EQA 250
MG ZS EV
Nissan LEAF
Porsche Taycan
Tesla Model S

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