The EV fact thread

[poormansporsche]

Surely there must be some way for the turning wheels to charge the battery whilst being towed ? So that when you arrive at your muddy field in the @rse end of nowhere you have a fully charged car to whizz around in, virtually for freeeeee.....

 

[ALFAitalia]

Not for free.....all that power/electricity will be coming (indirectly and incorporating loses) out of the motorhomes fuel tank!!!

 

[Bellow]

Surely there must be some way for the turning wheels to charge the battery whilst being towed ? So that when you arrive at your muddy field in the @rse end of nowhere you have a fully charged car to whizz around in, virtually for freeeeee.....

That possibility is in my mind but it would need to be configurable or you'd end up towing a fireball. With a fully charged battery - what of the rotating motor?
Strikes me that the type of EV best suited to this is small eg, Citroen's Ami (for weight reasons alone) but there'd be the real possibility of towing it faster than it can propel itself. Without mechanically disengaging the motor, could it withstand the higher rpm?

 

[ALFAitalia]

All EVs have the ability to be disengaged from the "engine" to enable towing and recovery....similar to being in neutral in an ICE car ...Whether this is disconnected enough for towing, I've no idea.

 

[poormansporsche]

That possibility is in my mind but it would need to be configurable or you'd end up towing a fireball. With a fully charged battery - what of the rotating motor?
Strikes me that the type of EV best suited to this is small eg, Citroen's Ami (for weight reasons alone) but there'd be the real possibility of towing it faster than it can propel itself. Without mechanically disengaging the motor, could it withstand the higher rpm?

It's certainly a interesting concept and I'm sure it could be developed but I should imagine the market would be so small it just ain't going to happen.

On a side note I saw a 74 plate broken down Audi "Q" EV thingie being lifted from one of the extremely small EV charging spaces at work. It was proper scary and was so glad my car wasn't parked next to it.

 

[Bellow]

All EVs have the ability to be disengaged from the "engine" to enable towing and recovery....similar to being in neutral in an ICE car ...

Pretty sure that hasn't always been the case - or not with all EVs. Weren't there instances of Teslas with flat batteries that couldn't be moved without recharging? Just dragged their wheels when towed?
Mechanical or electrical disengagement? I've seen plenty photographs of EV transmissions and not once seen a clutch.

 

[Bellow]

It's certainly a interesting concept and I'm sure it could be developed but I should imagine the market would be so small it just ain't going to happen.

Might be useful but recharging facilities at camp sites would likely be more useful. In their absence however...
Main question is whether an EV can be safely towed behind an A-frame in the manner of manual ICE without incurring damage or unwanted drag.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Pretty sure that hasn't always been the case - or not with all EVs. Weren't there instances of Teslas with flat batteries that couldn't be moved without recharging? Just dragged their wheels when towed?
Mechanical or electrical disengagement? I've seen plenty photographs of EV transmissions and not once seen a clutch.

They have towing mode....but only for short distance to get in on truck etc.


Towing a Tesla Model S

1. Put the car in park and chock the tires
2. Press and hold the brake pedal
3. On the touchscreen, select Controls > Service > Towing
4. Select Enter Tow Mode
5. The button will turn blue to indicate that Tow Mode is active
6. Slowly roll the car for short distances or winch it onto a flatbed truck

Towing a Tesla Model X

1. Ensure the vehicle is not connected to a charger
2. Detect a key
3. Confirm the parking brake is engaged
4. Press and hold the brake pedal
5. If the vehicle has no low voltage power, attempt to jump start the low voltage system
6. Use the touchscreen to activate Tow Mode

 

[Will]

Love how the these threads tend to drift off to ridiculous tangents so frequently

I mean, how many people on MB Club even own a motor home, let alone tow a car behind one?

A constant pattern of denial using extreme examples to justify a negative viewpoint.

Where as in the real world, 90% of people are just getting in and driving their cars every day without a concern of any sort.

Funny enough, I don’t think I’ve had a car recovered for about 15 years now. Last time was in a newish VW Passat (diesel) when one of the injectors packed up. Common fault at the time

Can’t remember seeing an EV broken down or being towed. I’m sure it happens though (usually notice Range Rovers on the hard shoulders on longer trips!)

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

As has been said many times, driving an EV is routine for many, and would require no adjustment for most. I’ve done lots of motorway miles at weekends so far this year and there are many EVs driving at the same speeds as ICE.

Yesterday on the M1 near Leicester, I was passed by a lady in her senior years driving a 10 year old Renault Zoe and she was comfortably whizzing along with too many hits given to the speed limit, without a care in the world.

 

[poormansporsche]

Love how the these threads tend to drift off to ridiculous tangents so frequently

I mean, how many people on MB Club even own a motor home, let alone tow a car behind one?

A constant pattern of denial using extreme examples to justify a negative viewpoint.

Where as in the real world, 90% of people are just getting in and driving their cars every day without a concern of any sort.

Funny enough, I don’t think I’ve had a car recovered for about 15 years now. Last time was in a newish VW Passat (diesel) when one of the injectors packed up. Common fault at the time

Can’t remember seeing an EV broken down or being towed. I’m sure it happens though (usually notice Range Rovers on the hard shoulders on longer trips!)

It's a discussion thread innit

This particular tangent was EV positive IMO and as to my comment about the stranded Audi was not EV bashing as I'm fully aware that modern ICE cars are just as likely to be immovable when broken down with electric auto boxes and electric parking brakes.

Certainly a better tangent than the usual ill informed EV flaming

 

[pioneercollector]

All i can add to this is on the rare occasion one of our EV vans has had an electronic malfunction the vehicle had to be fully craned onto a flat bed lorry - this has happened three times with two different vans in 10 years.

It did make me realise that if this had happened in a multi story carpark there would be a serious issue in retrieving the van! All staff are subtly instructed to never park the vans in a multi story carpark ( Unless you want to witness your man bits being roasted whilst you watch! )

 

[markjay]

I don't see an issue with using flat beds for towing (in fact, this is probably a good idea for all car, not just EVs), however the more crucial question is whether an EV can be towed for a short distance? E.g. to get it out of a tight parking spot, or to get it onto the flat bed.

A trolley can be used or the first part, but still, how do you get it onto the flat bed?

I agree that if a crane is required in all circumstances, then this is not good - EV manufactures will have to find a way to enable pushing or towing an EV for a short distance (e.g. a few feet).

 

[Dryce]

I don't see an issue with using flat beds for towing (in fact, this is probably a good idea for all car, not just EVs), however the more crucial question is whether an EV can be towed for a short distance? E.g. to get it out of a tight parking spot, or to get it onto the flat bed.

Or use dollies?

 

[ALFAitalia]

A quick google shows that most EVs have some sort of neutral to allow them to be towed or pushed short distances......BUT NOT all. An issue can be the parking brake....which often automatically comes on when you switch off......so if you have no power at all then you cant get the brake off....this is rare and only applies to the 12v battery.....not the traction one....and since most recovery people have jumper packs that's not usually an issue. There appear to be a few older cars where towing/pushing is impossible.....but so far Google wont tell me which ones!!!

Can You Tow an Electric Car 2025? | Electric Car Guide

Can you tow an electric car? We explore how you can tow an electric vehicle, the potential risks, and a step-by-step guide for safe EV towing

electriccarguide.co.uk

 

[SmartAmg]

Pretty sure there would be a way around, getting it, to the flatbed. Probably a PITA, IF it happened, but definitely doable.

 

[ALFAitalia]

It would be a bit of a big design oversight if it was not possible.

 

[SmartAmg]

It would be a bit of a big design oversight if it was not possible.

Agree.

 

[Steveml63]

Our iX has different motor design to our Tesla Model 3
When driving the iX you have two modes (by pulling back on the gear lever)
B mode - this gives regen braking down to a stop
D mode - this is a freewheeling mode - absolutely no braking and equivalent to Neutral in an ICE vehicle. In this mode I believe the motors are fully disengaged, as they are known as “current excited synchronous motors” in the BMW blurb.
This means when you park on a hill - you must put car in park.
The Tesla however uses different motor technology and these act as a brake when you stop on a hill, I believe.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I love EU deadlines, having worked with them for most of my life.

Especially that whooshing noise they make as they go by.

Fresh fudge just in....

Von der Leyen proposes more relaxed CO2 target compliance for new cars - Euractiv