Towing a trailer or boat is a standard operating procedure for light-duty pickup trucks, but a car expert is warning that drivers should “prepare for a loss in range” when driving an electric pickup truck.
Brent Romans, a senior manager at Edmunds, said drivers choosing to tow with an electric vehicle, such as the Ford F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1T, should plan ahead by building extra travel time into the trip for charging stops.
COUPLE HAS ‘RANGE ANXIETY’ AS ELECTRIC VEHICLE REQUIRES 12 CHARGING STOPS
“Regardless of the type of vehicle, towing a trailer or boat causes a reduction in fuel efficiency — and therefore range — compared to normal operation,” Romans said. “This unavoidable problem of physics is more of a concern in an EV because of the already limited amount of range compared to a gas-powered vehicle.”
Romans suggested that the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, which has a range estimated to be as high as 320 miles when fully charged, “pales in comparison to a gas-powered F-150, which can have a range upward of 500 miles on a full tank.”
He noted that the range reduction is dependent on many factors, including the electric truck being used, elevation changes, weather, and travel speed.
“Stick to the speed limit on highways,” Romans suggested. “Even going 10 mph over the speed limit can have a significant impact on range.”
Romans also said charging stops can take 20-40 minutes depending on the functionality of the charging station and the EV itself.
He noted drivers towing a trailer or boat should prepare to unhook the trailer in order to access the charging station’s power cord: “Unhooking and reconnecting your trailer will use up valuable minutes on your drive.”
While Romans noted that a perk of towing with an electric truck includes the ability to access maximum torque output as soon as the accelerator is pressed, he admitted that for the moment, “towing with an electric truck on longer trips will be less convenient than towing with a traditional light-duty truck.”
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“The extra stops needed for recharging add extra time and hassle,” Romans said.
The stress and discomfort over charging accessibility have created tensions that one couple recently described as “range anxiety” while taking a road trip.
