Tesla Cybertruck towing range vs. gas & diesel trucks | dual motor

[HaulingAss]

"Tesla’s website still lists a max towing capability of over 14K lbs. for the Cybertruck, but beyond towing power, will the Cybertruck have enough range to make towing practical? How will it compare to a gas or diesel truck?"

The obvious elephant in the room is this particular concern only applies to those who plan to use their truck to tow large loads long-distances.

The vast majority of 1/2 ton truck owners never plan to tow large loads long distances. That doesn't mean Cybertruck won't excel at towing heavy trailers around the owners local region. I'll be impressed if the Tri-motor really is rated to tow 14,000 lbs., because not many 1/2-ton models are capable of that (and you need exactly the right configuration and add-on packages to even approach 14,000 lbs.).

On the other hand, even the Model 3, with a custom installed weight distribution hitch, has been shown to be physically competent and very safe when towing a rather large trailer weighing 6000 lbs., more competently than pickups that are actually rated to tow the 7,000 lbs. This is just a natural competency of an EV with a stiff, low flex chassis, a very low center of gravity, a short rear overhang, and good weight distribution, so I'm confident Cybertruck, unlike many pickups, will feel excellent towing right up to its rated maximum, when the rig is properly set up.

For the few who are interested in towing long-distances, particularly with an electric vehicle, I'll provide this link to Andy Thompson's, interesting thoughts on the matter. He's an experienced RV towing specialist from CanAm RV in Ontario, CA. He has some very interesting perspectives regarding towing an RV with an EV and it's well worth watching due to his decades of experience setting up tow rigs to tow large RV's:

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[Skidmarks68]

I rented a model Y last month on a trip to Texas, this is my second trip renting a Tesla for a family trip. The first thing I noticed is how far off the actually miles per charge is compared to the claims. We never got within 100 miles of the claimed mileage. (Under normal driving condition) As well as the cost to charge at the super chargers which were equal o 24 mpg. So when Tesla puts out these claimed towing ranges and weights, I have very little faith in the accuracy.

 

[scottf200]

I rented a model Y last month on a trip to Texas, this is my second trip renting a Tesla for a family trip. The first thing I noticed is how far off the actually miles per charge is compared to the claims. We never got within 100 miles of the claimed mileage. (Under normal driving condition) As well as the cost to charge at the super chargers which were equal o 24 mpg. So when Tesla puts out these claimed towing ranges and weights, I have very little faith in the accuracy.

Hence these developments:

 

[pricedm]

@egandalf
Nice looking truck you have.
Did you consider Polydrops or Safari Condo trailers or anything else? Thanks

 

[egandalf]

Nope. Not anymore.

The network is exploding. (Orange is DC Fast, Green is destination. Not all destination is shown.)

-Crissa

I feel like unless you’re staying overnight or equivalent, the Level 2 locations are next to useless. I have zero concerns about local charging but a ton about road tripping while towing.

We don’t hesitate to hop in the Y for most trips but towing still requires significant additional planning to do well.

@egandalf
Nice looking truck you have.
Did you consider Polydrops or Safari Condo trailers or anything else? Thanks

Didn’t check PolyDrops but eliminated SafariCondo from consideration. Look like great trailers, but didn’t suit our requirements well enough for the price. We got this 18yo Casita as a starter camper. Might go with a used Airstream in 2 years when this is paid off and we have a clean title. It’s a little cozy, but has everything we need for now.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

The hard part with towing isn’t necessarily about the range, but about the availability of charging, ease of charging access (I.e. pull-through), and duration of charging.

Opinion coming off of a 320-mile towing road trip with our small camper this past weekend with our R1T.

I fully expect Tesla to shine in points 1 & 3. They might be slightly worse on #2 for now.

You forgot frequency of charging. Although all of these are related, if you have to stop 5 times a day for an hour that adds time to the trip. Not everyone is programmed to just enjoy the road.

 

[CyberGus]

I rented a model Y last month on a trip to Texas, this is my second trip renting a Tesla for a family trip. The first thing I noticed is how far off the actually miles per charge is compared to the claims. We never got within 100 miles of the claimed mileage. (Under normal driving condition) As well as the cost to charge at the super chargers which were equal o 24 mpg. So when Tesla puts out these claimed towing ranges and weights, I have very little faith in the accuracy.

If you were in Texas, then you were driving at 80MPH, because at 70MPH you'll be ticketed for obstructing traffic

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

The obvious elephant in the room is this particular concern only applies to those who plan to use their truck to tow large loads long-distances.

The vast majority of 1/2 ton truck owners never plan to tow large loads long distances. That doesn't mean Cybertruck won't excel at towing heavy trailers around the owners local region. I'll be impressed if the Tri-motor really is rated to tow 14,000 lbs., because not many 1/2-ton models are capable of that (and you need exactly the right configuration and add-on packages to even approach 14,000 lbs.).

On the other hand, even the Model 3, with a custom installed weight distribution hitch, has been shown to be physically competent and very safe when towing a rather large trailer weighing 6000 lbs., more competently than pickups that are actually rated to tow the 7,000 lbs. This is just a natural competency of an EV with a stiff, low flex chassis, a very low center of gravity, a short rear overhang, and good weight distribution, so I'm confident Cybertruck, unlike many pickups, will feel excellent towing right up to its rated maximum, when the rig is properly set up.

For the few who are interested in towing long-distances, particularly with an electric vehicle, I'll provide this link to Andy Thompson's, interesting thoughts on the matter. He's an experienced RV towing specialist from CanAm RV in Ontario, CA. He has some very interesting perspectives regarding towing an RV with an EV and it's well worth watching due to his decades of experience setting up tow rigs to tow large RV's:

I never needed either the 3,500 pound payload nor the 14,00 pound towing capacity, but I would like to tow something around the country and would like my truck to be able to handle it … because we are all-electric now and not going back.

 

[fritter63]

If you were in Texas, then you were driving at 80MPH, because at 70MPH you'll be ticketed for obstructing traffic

@Skidmarks68 Next time you do this, please take a picture of the "energy" stats screen which shows how much range you've lost due to speed (and wind).

 

[HaulingAss]

I never needed either the 3,500 pound payload nor the 14,00 pound towing capacity, but I would like to tow something around the country and would like my truck to be able to handle it … because we are all-electric now and not going back.

If you don't want to charge a lot while you tow that trailer "around the country", then just buy a gas or diesel truck. Problem solved!

I really think this is the answer to the emotional distress your reservation has been causing you. Life is too short to be sour and dour every day you wake up.

Move on!

 

[Skidmarks68]

If you don't want to charge a lot while you tow that trailer "around the country", then just buy a gas or diesel truck. Problem solved!

I really think this is the answer to the emotional distress your reservation has been causing you. Life is too short to be sour and dour every day you wake up.

Move on!

Typical Tesla sell out answer. Why don’t “You” move on until you learn some respect for others trying to decide if a Tesla is right for them.

 

[charliemagpie]

I will be towing just a tad over 7000 pounds, and unless I am holding up traffic I will be cruising at approx 50mph.

I am hoping the CT fares well enough, towing half of its towing capacity at reasonable speed. ( because, I am in no rush and don't need to overtake anyone if I am towing! )

Fair concern being bandied about to me seems applied to near max capacity load with practically normal driving habits.

But what if driving habits reasonably change to maximize towing range... do we have a significant improvement ? Seems to be the case with the graphs I have seen.

Fingers crossed.

 

[HaulingAss]

I will be towing just a tad over 7000 pounds, and unless I am holding up traffic I will be cruising at approx 50mph.

I am hoping the CT fares well enough, towing half of its towing capacity at reasonable speed. ( because, I am in no rush and don't need to overtake anyone if I am towing! )

Fair concern being bandied about to me seems applied to near max capacity load with practically normal driving habits.

But what if driving habits reasonably change to maximize towing range... do we have a significant improvement ? Seems to be the case with the graphs I have seen.

Fingers crossed.

Yes, the slower you go, the further your range will be. But the Cybertruck will not be significantly differently than any other truck with a similar capacity battery. The Cybertrucks aerodynamics will be LESS of an advantage towing, so the range hit will likely be a larger percent of the Cybertrucks EPA range compared to a less aero e-truck.

It's possible the Cybertruck will have more efficient motors, but there is not any room there for a big improvement over existing e-trucks so you can expect a roughly similar hit to range.

Towing big loads with an e-truck is definitely possible, you will just need to come to terms with the need for more charging stops (and any inconvenience the trailer causes at charging stops). The biggest issue for me would be in rural areas where Superchargers have a low density, because that might require charging into the top 30% of the battery where charge speed slows way down. In time Superchargers will have more pull-through stalls and the network will be more dense but, currently, anyone expecting to replace a gas or diesel tow rig for this kind of long distance towing is going to have to temper their expectations and expect that the same trip will take considerably longer. There is no silver bullet tow rig, short of a huge battery.

Of course, having access to all Superchargers is a big head-start right there.

 

[HaulingAss]

I rented a model Y last month on a trip to Texas, this is my second trip renting a Tesla for a family trip. The first thing I noticed is how far off the actually miles per charge is compared to the claims. We never got within 100 miles of the claimed mileage. (Under normal driving condition) As well as the cost to charge at the super chargers which were equal o 24 mpg. So when Tesla puts out these claimed towing ranges and weights, I have very little faith in the accuracy.

I wouldn't use a rental car as a standard for determining range. Do you know it's history? One good whack to a curb can cause misalignment (the tires fighting each other). This means the car does not roll as easily as designed and your range will suffer excessively.

Also, it takes a little experience with one pedal driving to get the most out of it. You have to become familiar with feathering the throttle to control speed. Until then, you will be fluctuating between regen and acceleration which really impacts range. Once you live with the car a few weeks, you will become familiar with how to drive it and your range will be a lot better.

 

[happy intruder]

This will completely depend on where and when you are traveling.

California has LOTS of chargers, making it fairly easy with plenty of V3 chargers. Other states are may not be so lucky.

The "when" matters because if the SCs are fairly empty, it's easy to take up 3-4 stalls without causing any issues with other drivers if there isn't a pull thru... I wouldn't want to try it during a busy holiday weekend.

I towed freight with my Y (meaning I had a time limit to get the load to the destination) and it was no problem thru CA. But I just couldn't do other places. The CT will be much better of course but the same issues still apply.

dont forget about range with CT

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