Why PHEVs – not EVs – are the perfect diesel alternative for tow vehicles

“EVs don’t have the strength to tow our big caravan,” loudly explained the gentleman to his female companion at the following cafe table.

He’s correct that in Australia today there aren’t any pure electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) suitable to tow a 3500kg caravan.

This may change soon. A transient take a look at the perfect PHEV and pure-electric towing options available now, and on the way in which, is followed by a transient explanation of the constraints of present battery technology.

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Examining the problem of tow-friendly charging infrastructure can also be necessary and can reveal how close alternative powertrain technologies really are to becoming viable towing options for Australian drivers.

We must always then give you the option to guess which drivetrain tech represents the perfect bet for serious towing enthusiasts.

PHEV

The newly released BYD Shark 6 PHEV has attracted loads of attention for its value, utility, performance and decent EV-only range. Nevertheless, it’s only rated to tow 2500kg, not the local industry benchmark of 3500kg.

Even inside its rated limits the Shark 6 has shown that with its particular PHEV implementation there are some notable differences in towing capabilities compared with a typical diesel or petrol vehicle.

This is particularly the case when towing with a lower state of battery charge. A number of the issues noted are edge cases, though, so try the many CarExpert videos on the Shark 6 for details.

The soon to be released GWM Cannon Alpha is rated to tow 3500kg. Upon release it should even be examined closely to see whether it has similar issues.

Meanwhile, the upcoming Ford Ranger PHEV, with its proven 3500kg-capable ICE powertrain, must be freed from SOC (State of Charge) problems. Nevertheless, its on-board battery and EV-only range could be very small, and owners may save fewer dollars on the pump. Overall, it’s early days for these vehicles.

Towing aside, they’re off to a promising start, however the jury needs time to deliver a verdict on whether this bunch of PHEV utes will turn into real towing substitutes for traditional rivals.

EV

In our market, in the case of towing ‘serious’ loads pure EVs do have a towing problem: there aren’t any!

Products from Rivian and Tesla may arrive here in the long run, in the event that they conform to Australian Design Rules, while the 4500kg-capable F-150 Lightning is yet to be confirmed for release by Ford Australia, but is on the market in locally converted right-hand drive form from AUSEV and starts from $170k.

Due later in 2025 is the LDV eTerron 9. This guarantees 3500kg towing capability and as much as 325kW of power. Nevertheless, the 102kWh battery signifies that the already optimistic WLTP range figure of 430km won’t ever be threatened if towing near its max rating or less again if the load also has poor aerodynamics.

The Geely-built Riddara RD6 may also likely come here later within the yr, but with a smaller battery than the LDV and the identical 2500kg tow limit because the Shark 6.

So, at time of publishing, there still aren’t any EVs able to towing a 3000kg-plus caravan, and when the LDV becomes available here its limited range will still make it a poor alternative for heavy towing far beyond urban areas.

Should you really need a first-class EV for serious towing, you need to look to the USA.

The current ‘best at school’ pure EV is the Chevrolet Silverado EV. One among these 2024 models, with a 200kWh battery, gets a proper EPA-rated range of 450 miles (720km). With prices ranging from US$70k for the prolonged range versions that include near 800hp (588kW) and tow over 5500kg, these are capable but expensive vehicles.

Although GM Specialty Vehicles does herald the Silverado for right-hand drive conversion, the electrical models aren’t presently available in Australia.

How far can they go? An actual-world comparison test with a 3000kg brick-shaped enclosed automobile trailer has indicated the EV’s towing range at roughly half the manufacturer’s EPA figure. You’ll be shocked how far a Chevy Silverado EV can tow versus a petrol-powered Ford F-150!

The EV and a 3.5-litre V6 petrol F-150 running on the identical roads at the identical time towed equivalent trailers for 232 miles (373km). Although the vehicles did reach 75mph (121km/h) while towing on the highway, a few of the test was done at lower speeds on secondary roads.

Because of this these weren’t exclusively fast ‘highway‘ miles. The roads were also flat and the weather mild. These conditions due to this fact represent near a best-case scenario as extreme weather and massive hills increase energy consumption. The Silverado only indicated 15 miles of remaining range at the top of the test.

It averaged the equivalent of 38mpg versus its rated 63mpg combined urban/highway figure. Meanwhile, the petrol F-150 achieved almost exactly half (9.8mpg) of its normal EPA combined efficiency of 20mpg, but as a consequence of the scale of the 36-gallon (136L) fuel tank, still had one other 108 miles (173km) until empty.

‘Tank’ size

The previous sentence is crucial. Although EV batteries are large, heavy and pack a lethal voltage, their present-day energy density is barely a fraction of that of the diesel fuel that powers most heavy utes and 4WDs.

An EV with a 100kWh battery that will weigh over 500kg only accommodates the identical energy as 10 litres of diesel. A Landcruiser or F-150 with 140 litres of fuel on board due to this fact packs a large 1400kWh of stored energy.

So even an enormous EV, just like the 4000kg Silverado above, with its massive 200kWh battery, remains to be only carrying the equivalent of 20 litres of fuel.

With that tiny 20 litre ‘tank’, the incredible efficiency of electrical motors means it will probably manage 700km before needing to charge. Nevertheless, in the event you tow something like a heavy caravan with ‘brick-like’ aerodynamics, especially at highway speeds, the massive amount of energy needed to push all that air out of the way in which can greater than halve the range, as shown above.

Charging infrastructure

The outcomes of the Chevy EV aren’t bad in any respect, but there’s one other limiting factor beyond range to think about: refuelling. Although the above test revealed the F-150 chewed through almost 4 times as much energy because the EV to tow the identical distance, refuelling the Ford is quick and straightforward.

It’s easy even with an enormous trailer attached, as almost every service station allows the motive force to drive in, replenish without unhitching, and drive off. Such infrastructure is rare within the EV charging world. Australia is a typical case.

A fast take a look at the ‘trailer friendly’ charging option on PlugShare shows the limited variety of locations where EVs
don’t have to unhitch while charging.

PlugShare is an important app for EV owners: showing where chargers are positioned. PlugShare reveals just 20 such locations within the state of Queensland and 40 in NSW – with large parts of the state lacking any tow-friendly charging stalls in any respect.

In reality, in the entire of Australia there are only 142 charging stations (includes 12 in Tasmania) where you may charge your EV without having to disconnect your trailer. This compares with over 1000 high-power public charging locations Australia-wide as of mid-2024.

This all signifies that towing in Australia, especially in regional areas, is much easier with a combustion engine. It’s a job best suited to vehicles corresponding to the Toyota LandCruiser, select variants of the Ford Ranger and other popular vehicles in that class.

It’s not all bad news for electrified vehicles, because the charging infrastructure continues to grow at a healthy pace so future EV motorists will probably be higher supported.

Long term, battery technology also continues to advance, with decreases in costs and increases in energy density and charging speeds. Within the heavy SUV and 4WD vehicle segments, nevertheless, these are unlikely to be price competitive with combustion vehicles for some time.

Because of this Ford CEO Jim Farley is holding off on production of recent full-size electric SUVs and trucks. Are there any
medium-term solutions that will allow owners to enjoy a few of the running cost, performance and emissions advantages of electrical motoring but still give you the option to haul an enormous boat or heavy caravan across regional Australia?

An answer?

There could also be an answer not too distant. It’s a full-size PHEV truck that has some similarities with the Shark 6 but upscaled.

The Ram 1500 Ramcharger has two electric motors, developing a complete of 476kW and powered by a big 92kWh battery. It will probably tow over 6000kg.

The battery might be DC and AC charged externally but will also be charged by its 3.6-litre petrol V6 combustion engine acting as a generator. The Ramcharger is due later this yr within the North American market.

The combustion engine never drives the wheels: it just generates power for the battery. In pure EV mode, Ram rates the 3400kg truck at slightly below 150 miles (241km) of range. Its EV capability would actually be greater, but a big portion of the battery is hidden from use to keep up its rated specs and towing performance in tough conditions.

Key to its ability to tow heavy loads on long steep gradients is how Ram integrates the powerful combustion engine to work with the high-voltage components. The result’s a vehicle that ought to offer all of the EV benefits of easy torque available from 0rpm, and fast 4.7-second 0-100km/h times, but remains to be rated for 690 miles (1110km) of EPA range.

Even halving that range while towing heavy loads would bring you parity with other heavy vehicles just like the petrol-powered F-150. When you wish to tow your heavy boat or caravan, with this vehicle it’s best to believe travelling to distant places knowing which you could replenish at regular service stations.

With that 6000kg tow rating, that is one electrified vehicle no-one goes to assert ‘lacks towing strength’. Let’s hope this Ram is inexpensive, and jumps the pond, because many Australians would love a vehicle with these capabilities.

Summing up

Towing has clearly been an issue for electric vehicles up to now. Specifically, battery energy density has limited the range of pure-electric vehicles and PHEVs.

Electric motors have the strength to tow, with power and torque characteristics that compare favourably to combustion engines, but towing heavy loads with poor aerodynamics drains power reserves fast.

Battery costs have been steadily decreasing, but the fee of the massive batteries needed by pure EVs for serious long-distance towing signifies that today the perfect value remains to be with diesel and petrol vehicles. This is particularly the case if towing away from urban areas, as we now have seen how limited towing-friendly EV charging infrastructure is at present.

The promising news is that there are multiple electrified vehicle options coming. These cleaner options will save motorists money on fuel, provide features and performance not normally seen from this class of auto, and deliver some decent competition on your dollars.