The internet has changed the way that we do a lot of things. Food is ordered and delivered to our doors, as are our groceries. We don't need to head out to the music store or turn on the radio to listen to our favourite songs. Hailing a ride is as easy as logging into our favourite ride-sharing app, and when it comes to accommodation for our holiday, a service like Airbnb has us covered.
Despite this, caravaning remains relatively popular and commonplace for families who like to visit new destinations and like the flexibility of not being tied down to brick-and-mortar accommodation. You'll often find that caravaning and camping enthusiasts appreciate nature and electric vehicles appeal to them due to their independence from fossil fuel. It's a double-edged sword, though, as we will explain.
Can an electric car tow a caravan?
If you're an avid caravaner, you will know that the tow vehicle is critical in the safe and effective towing of a caravan. Not every car is able to tow a caravan and there are certain things that make for a good towing vehicle: adequate power, fuel efficiency, a sturdy rear axle, rear or all-wheel drive, and ideally, a safety system or two to help keep things pointed in the right direction. What is the speed limit when towing a caravan?
Electric vehicles (EV), unfortunately, don't make great tow vehicles for caravans despite the fact that EVs are best known for their efficiency and generous torque outputs. But that's not to say that you cannot tow with an EV. Towing a caravan is a challenge for an EV for the following reasons.
Why do EVs struggle to tow?
The inherent design of an EV limits them from being able to tow effectively. Inverse to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, the faster you go in an EV, the more battery power you use. Where highway cruising is the best for an ICE vehicle, this is the worst for an EV and will see them drain their batteries faster than doing a sedentary pace in town.
The limited range of many EVs becomes prohibitive when one considers the destinations that many caravaners visit. These far-out places are often well off of the beaten track and rather secluded. This poses two problems: the diminished range that is caused by towing a caravan limits the distance you can tow on a single charge, and these remote areas often don't have public charging infrastructure to replenish the charge in the batteries.
Lastly, towing results in higher heat generation. While EVs manage their heat rather well, adding the weight of a caravan to proceedings places additional strain on the motor, forcing the batteries to work hard and generate more heat. This is less than ideal for the lifespan of the battery.
Towing limitations
It's for these reasons above that EVs are not recommended for towing a caravan. The average caravan weighs in excess of 2 000 kg, and this is more than most EVs are rated to tow. If you happen to have a smaller, single-berth caravan or one that comes in under the 2 000 kg mark, you may be able to get away with towing to a destination that isn't too far from the grid, but in most instances, a diesel vehicle will be better.
List of towing capacities for EVs
Here's a non-exhaustive list of the towing capacities for the majority of EVs on sale in South Africa correctly. If the vehicle isn't list, chances are it's not rated to tow at all.
| Electric vehicle | Towing rating (kg) |
| BYD Atto 3 | 750 |
| Volvo EX30 | 1 000 |
| Maxus eDeliver 3 | 650 - 1 090 |
| Maxus T90 Double Cab | 1 000 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQA | 750 |
| BMW iX1 | 1 200 |
| BMW i4 | 1 400 |
| Volvo XC40 | 1 800 |
| BMW iX3 | 750 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan | 750 |
| BMW iX | 2 500 |
| Audi e-tron 55 | 1 800 |
| BMW i5 | 2 000 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV | 1 800 |
| Jaguar I-Pace | 750 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan | 750 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV | 1 800 |
| BMW i7 | 2 000 |
