EV Towing and Range Loss

EV drivers in Brisbane and across Queensland all seem to have a nail-biting story of running low on battery at critical times. Range anxiety is real – and when you hook a trailer onto your EV it only gets worse. All the electric vehicle owners who come into our Brisbane towbar installation workshops have the same question:

“How is towing with my EV going to affect battery range?”

Fair enough, too. Nobody wants to be stranded on the Bruce Highway with a flat EV and a fully packed caravan. Understanding your EV’s range and knowing when you should charge the battery is key to avoiding that. Let’s take a look at what happens to your EV battery range when you tow, and how you can plan around it. 

How Much Will EV Battery Range Reduce When Towing?

We can’t give you an exact figure because there are a lot of variables that come into play. But it will be quite a significant chunk – somewhere between 30% and 55%, depending on what you’re towing and how you’re driving. 

Mid-range EVs like a Tesla Model Y today should give you around 450-500 kilometres of highway range if they aren’t loaded. If you’re towing, you want to be looking for a charging station every 200 kilometres. (We tend to do that even if we aren’t towing – it’s a range anxiety reduction thing!)

Factors Affecting Range Loss

The figure above is a variable, and it depends on a bunch of factors. Here are a few of them: 

Aerodynamics

Your trailer shape is a big one. A tall caravan with a flat front creates more resistance than a streamlined or low-profile camping trailer.  Ford’s vice president of electric vehicle programs said it plainly in a RACV piece on EV towing: aerodynamics matters more than weight.

Trailer weight

Obviously, the more weight you are towing, the more battery power you will be chewing through. 

Speed

The faster you go, the more drag there will be. Towing at a lower speed will extend your range. 

Terrain

Driving uphill means your battery drains faster. Heading up to Maleny in the Glasshouse Mountains will use up a lot of energy! On downhill sections, regenerative braking can help you recover some of it back.

Weather

Driving into a strong headwind will be more taxing on your EV battery. Cold weather can reduce efficiency too. We get chilly winters in South East Queensland, 

Driving style

Steady and smooth driving will be more economical than smashing the accelerator down after every set of lights – especially on busy inner-Brisbane roads.

Different Trailers and How They Affect EV Range

These figures should be used as a guide only. They are based on real-world owner data and independent testing, but every situation is going to present its own set of circumstances that influence your range, as we went through above. 

Small box trailer or bike carrier (under 500kg)

Range reduction: 15–25% 

Minimal impact. Low weight, low drag. For most short to medium trips you’ll barely notice it.

Boat trailer with small to medium boat (750–1,400kg) 

Range reduction: 30–45%

A familiar setup for a lot of Brisbane drivers heading to Moreton Bay or the Gold Coast. Range varies depending on the boat’s height and profile. A little tinny will treat you well, a larger fibreglass boat not so well.

Camper trailer (800–1,600kg) 

Range reduction: 35–50%

Shape matters a lot here, as we spoke about in the previous section. A low and aerodynamic off-road camper will perform better than a tall, boxy van-style unit.

Full caravan (1,600–2,500kg at highway speeds) 

Range reduction: 45–55%

Expect major range reductions on Queensland highways at sustained speeds due to the heavy weight of a large caravan.

If you’re towing, don’t push your limit with battery range. Plan your journey well. You’ll get used to stopping every couple of hours to stretch your legs and charge the EV. It’s certainly different to towing with an ICE (internal combustion engine), so you have to change your mindset and become patient. 

Planning EV Charging Stops on Queensland Roads

Driving around South East Queensland is an EV-friendly experience. There are many destinations within a couple of hours, and plenty of charging stations. 

When you’re planning a longer trip, say down to Coffs Harbour or up to the Whitsundays, you need to be conscious about where to charge up as the gaps between fast chargers can be long. 

Our Charging Suggestions: 

• Download the PlugShare app, which gives you the location of all the EV charging stations around Australia. Read the user comments to gauge the stations’ reliability, and plan your trip accordingly. 
• Bear in mind that most charging stations are in a standard bay that won’t accommodate a vehicle and trailer. You can look specifically for pull-through bays, or get accustomed to unhitching the trailer while you charge. Don’t park parallel across multiple spots – it’s a one-way ticket to a bunch of annoyed EV drivers. 
• If you’re stopping overnight at a caravan park, check they have powered site availability to plug your granny charger in. Some might even have a bank of EV chargers. 

How Brisbane Drivers Can Maximise EV Range When Towing

There are small changes you make to stretch out that EV battery range when towing::

• Sit at 90km/h rather than 110km/h where it’s safe and legal
• Charge to 100% before departure even if you normally top out at 80%
• Travel as light as possible
• Pre-condition your battery before you leave, particularly on cooler mornings
• Use regen braking on descents rather than the foot brake.
• Don’t push your battery to the bottom. We’d recommend charging somewhere before you reach 25%. 

Does the Towbar Impact Range When Not Towing?

Not in any meaningful way. A properly fitted towbar won’t add any aerodynamic drag when nothing’s attached. This means your day-to-day range won’t take a hit.

What matters is getting the towbar correctly fitted to your specific EV. Done properly, the vehicle’s trailer detection systems work as intended and the wiring plays nicely with your car’s electrical system. Our EV towbar installation service is carried out by HEV101-certified technicians who work on EVs day in, day out. 

EV Towbar Installation in Brisbane

Located in Brisbane? Got an EV and a trailer to pull? Get in touch with our team for a free quote on your EV towbar installation. We have a workshop in Slacks Creek or Everton Hills, and we also have a team of mobile techs who can come to your home or place of work. 

You can also read more about what EV towing involves on the blog, or head straight to our EV towing services page to find out how we can get you set up. Our team is always here to answer your questions, so don’t hesitate to give us a call if you want to chat about anything towing-related.