Very true, size/shape/weight makes all the difference and so supplying these types of numbers would be impossible based on the near-infinite number of configurations.
And I only disagree with the use of the phrase "to a lesser extent". The inertial and gravity loads can be appreciably larger than the drag and rolling resistance loads under some circumstances (e.g. you tow in hilly country or you tow in stop and go traffic).
The energy required to accel or deccel will be the killer, at speed the electric motor weeks out ICE, but constant drag is a huge factor for this calc.
It may or may not be depending on driving conditions
Please explain what "weeks out" means. I am not familiar with that expression.
It can be under some driving conditions i.e. those where drag is large relative to the other loads namely when operating at uniform speed on level roads at high speeds.
The basic range formula, r = 1/(f+1) in which f is the ratio of trailer loads to tractor only loads measures those loads in terms of energy delivered to the loads from the motor. Thus one is only concerned with the amount of motor output energy that is went to, e.g., wheel slip, not the amount of energy that was needed by the motor to produce the required energy. One could do the calculation with motor input energy by dividing each load by the efficiency of the engine but that factor would appear in every term in both numerator and denominator and thus cancel out.
Well it does "nuke" the mpge reducing it by factor of 2 or 3 or even more under grade. Isn't that the point of the discussion?
Do you have any reason for thinking that Tesla will create their own trailers with battery? I know we saw one in the photos but I'm wondering if there is any actual sources on the subject. I am wanting to do a video about Cybertruck Towing and that would be a very useful rumor/speculation to confirm.
I have a similar take on the subject. I think that most towing happens within 3 hours of home base. First the daily routine stuff, which is the majority of towing because of commercial towing. For instance, in our landscaping business, we are towing with about half our trucks EVERY DAY. This is no problem for the CT, even single motor.
Sway can likely also be damped out by software controlling the steering input - all the Tesla models have that capability.
The usual advice for getting out of a sway situation is to accelerate with no steering input or apply the trailer (only) brake with no steering input and this makes sense from the physics. Modern vehicles (i,e. ones with computer) use torque vectoring but that is limited in ICE vehicles and BEVs like the Teslas that must do this by use of the friction brakes. The TriMotor CT will have much better torque vectoring capability because of the two independent motors without having to waste energy in the friction brakes.
True.
Torque vectoring works during deceleration too.
You are partially correct here. The third motor is there to split the load during towing. Obviously this results in less stress on each motor and the reduction gearing but it is also important to recognize that two motors delivering 50 hp each will waste 1/2 as much heat because rotor and stator currents in each will be half what they would be in a single 100 hp motor. It's not really disposing of the heat that is the issue. It is efficiency. And, of course, the big advantage is torque vectoring which will improve towing stability whether one tows with a fifth wheel, bumper or pivot point projection hitch.
The point about rear wheels maintaining traction with the rear-ward loading of heavy tongue weight on the rear bumper is a good point!
