Top 10 best electric cars for towing
An electric car’s instant torque makes for a great tow vehicle – but there are downsides. Get clued up with our list
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7 mins read
8 July 2024
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If there’s one activity an electric car should be perfectly suited to, it’s towing. With their powerful motors that deliver instant and finely controlled torque, these battery-powered machines could have been purpose built for hauling heavy loads.
However, what seems as clear as day on paper can often be much murkier in practice. You see, while these torque-rich models could theoretically pull the heftiest trailers and most cumbersome caravans, many manufacturers don’t homologate them to do so.
One of the major reasons is the electric range. The effort and energy needed to tow often reduces the usable range to under 100 miles in many cases. Then there is the weighty issue of mass. The combination of an EV’s bulky batteries and any potential load created a gross train weight (the car’s kerb weight and trailer load added together) that became almost unmanageable.
But times have changed and technology has improved, with the result that ever increasing numbers of EVs have been designed to accommodate a towbar and can hitch up to the sort of loads normally the preserve of ICE models. There’s still a little way to go before these electrified offerings can match the most accomplished petrol- or diesel-engined haulers (the best can pull up to 3500kg), but there are still plenty of options for those who want to tow and make the switch to an EV.
The best electric cars for towing
1. Kia EV9
10
Pros
Smooth to drive, even when towing
Six or seven seats
Clever use of space
Cons
Feels enormous on the road
Lacks a degree of easy car-park manoeuvrability
Material cabin appeal is slightly short of the price tag
Max towing weight: 2500kg
WLTP range: 313-349 miles
Our favourite large car just so happens to be electric. And it also just so happens to be brilliant at pulling objects around.
The max towing weight is enormous for an EV. But where the EV9 really impresses is in how it tows. In What Car?’s annual towing test, it wowed the judges with its impressive 30-60mph time of 5.5sec – an impressive feat considering it was pulling an Adria caravan. Judges were also impressed with its stability at motorway speeds.
Away from its towing abilities, the EV9 is also a brilliant family SUV due to its sheer size. It’s available with six or seven seats, and no matter which option you choose, adults will fit in the back.
Read our Kia EV9 review
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2. BMW iX
9
Pros
Exceptional refinement
Space and versatility
Luxury interior
Cons
Divisive exterior styling
Brake regen could be improved
Too posh for some campsites?
Max towing weight: 2500kg
WLTP range: 257-382 miles
There’s no denying BMW has gone big with its EV flagship. The challengingly styled iX boasts the sort of Top Trumps-style stats that would trash much of its opposition, particularly in range-topping xDrive50 guise.
Not only does it offer plenty of muscle (516bhp and a rippling 564lb ft of torque) but it will also travel a claimed 380 miles on a charge thanks to its 80.7kW battery.
However, the number that interests us most here is the 2500kg towing limit, which is as much as some fairly heavyweight ICE machines.
More importantly, you get the same towing ability with the less costly 321bhp xDrive40 model. Both also feature twin-motor four-wheel drive, meaning excellent traction even when pulling a trailer out of a slippery field.
Read our BMW iX review
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3. Tesla Model X
9
Pros
Supercharger network
Sports car acceleration
Fast charging times
Cons
Only LHD
Unsettled ride
Below-average build quality
Max towing weight: 2268kg
WLTP range: 337-369 miles
The Tesla Model X can cope with pulling up to 2268kg, rivalling many large diesel-engined SUVs.
This impressive figure means that it’s easily possible to hitch up a large twin-axle caravan, even if doing so is likely to significantly eat into the Long Range variant’s claimed 369-mile range.
That said, with north of 800lb ft of instant torque, this SUV’s performance is unlikely to be greatly affected by hauling a heavy load. Plus the Model X has air springs as standard, making it easier to hitch a trailer or caravan by raising or lowering the ride height as required and keep an even keel while on the move.
A large boot and seven-seat capability further boost its practical tow car credentials. Its gullwing rear doors will cause a stir at the campsite, although the patchy build quality and inert driving dynamics mean it’s not without its compromises. Worth remembering that while you can buy them new, they are left-hand drive.
Read our Tesla Model X review
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4. Tesla Model Y
9
Pros
Supercharger network
Interior space
Good range
Cons
Ride and acoustic refinement
Not enough buttons
Build quality
Max towing weight: 1588kg
WLTP range: 283-331 miles
The Tesla Model Y is a much smaller, more European-focused version of the Model X above. And one that comes in right-hand drive.
The Falcon doors are replaced with traditional ones, and there’s no silly Plaid model – what you’ll find instead is a much more sensible mid-size SUV with a brilliant real-world range and good towing capabilities.
Stumping up for the Tow Package gets you a towbar, as you might expect, but it also gets you Tow Mode software. You can still tow without this, but the software helps things out by disabling steering interventions, lowering automatic emergency braking force and increasing the distance on automatic cruise control.
What Car? testing revealed that the Model Y would typically lose around 57% of its range when towing. Which is on the low side compared with rivals.
Read our Tesla Model Y review
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5. Kia EV6
9
Pros
Impressive range
Balanced chassis
Feels very solid when towing
Cons
Perceived interior quality lags behind rivals
Uncommunicative steering
Awkward climate control
Max towing weight: 1800kg
WLTP range: 273-328 miles
It may be pricier than the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5, but the Kia EV6 receives more power as standard and a maximu towing weight increase of 200kg.
Every version of the slinky coupé-inspired Kia features a large, 77.4kWh battery, while power ranges from 225bhp in the rear-wheel-drive base car through to the 577bhp in the GT. As with all the cars here, towing a large load will make a significant dent in the range.
But on the plus side, an 800V charging system means that, where they’re available, ultra-rapid chargers can replenish the EV6’s cells from 10-80% in as little as 18 minutes.
Based on the E-GMP platform, the EV6 shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and, in GT trim, has a claimed 0-62mph sprint time of 3.5sec and standard limited-slip differential.
Read our Kia EV6 review
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6. BMW i4
8
Pros
Great towing weight considering the size
Recognisably BMW handling
Excellent rolling refinement
Cons
So-so real-world range
M50 derivative not the natural choice for keen drivers
Relatively small boot compared with others on this list
Max towing weight: 1600kg
WLTP range: 258-366 miles
Surprisingly, while BMW has given the rugged iX3 SUV a lowly 750kg towing limit, the sleek i4 can pull 1600kg.
This figure is the same for both the eDrive40 and 536bhp M50 xDrive, which is no surprise given that even the least powerful version of the two delivers a muscular 317lb ft from zero revs.
There’s also a usefully large 470-litre boot with a practical hatchback opening for easy storage of all your camping and caravanning bits and bobs. And when you’re not lugging a large load, the BMW benefits from strong performance, excellent refinement and typically crisp and engaging handling.
This car may not have the best outright figure in terms of towing capacity, but according to What Car? it typically only loses around 56% of its total range while towing a caravan – making it one of the better cars it tested.
Read our BMW i4 review
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7. Mercedes EQS SUV
8
Pros
Long range
Very relaxing on long distances
Hugely spacious
Cons
Low-speed ride quality quite poor
Interior doesn’t have the versatility of the best seven-seaters
It also doesn’t have the opulence of the best luxury cars
Max towing weight: 1800kg
WLTP range: 363-364 miles
As the name suggests, this is essentially a high-riding, off-road-inspired version of the EQS saloon.
It’s based on the same advanced EVA2 platform designed specifically for battery-powered vehicles. The EQS SUV is available in single-motor rear-wheel-drive guise or with twin-motor 4Matic all-wheel drive – the latter proving handy when you’re pulling a caravan or horsebox out of a muddy field.
The entry-level 450 gets 355bhp, but the double-motor variant increases torque from 419lb ft to 590lb ft.
At the top of the range is the rapid 536bhp 580 version that will zip from standstill to 62mph in 4.6sec. All versions get a 108kWh battery for a claimed range of up to 365 miles and standard air suspension ensures a level ride height even when hauling the heaviest loads.
Read our Mercedes EQS SUV review
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8. Audi Q8 E-tron
8
Pros
High quality cabin
Packed with technology
Lots of space
Cons
Poor range in real-world conditions
Virtual door mirrors are a pain
Not class leading in handling terms
Max towing weight: 1800kg
WLTP range: 283-333 miles
Audi is rather proud of the Q8 E-tron’s towing capability, using a 402bhp 55 Quattro version to haul a hefty 1800kg trailer containing a GM EV1 (remember that lead-acid-battery-powered 1990s coupé?) on a publicity-drenched 500-mile US trip from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Austin, Texas.
Yet while it managed to crack a 60mph average for the journey, this figure didn’t include the time it needed to stop and recharge because, like all our EVs here, hauling a load will take a toll on range.
In the case of the Audi SUV, that meant its claimed range of 252 miles was slashed by more than half to just over 100 miles.
On the plus side, if you’re not doing big distances, the Q8 E-tron in all its guises (496bhp S, swoopy Sportback and entry-level 50) have the same 1800kg capacity, while all-round air suspension keeps everything on the level.
The standard Q8 E-tron also has a 660-litre boot for all that caravanning and camping overflow.
Read our Audi Q8 E-tron review
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9. Mercedes EQA
8
Pros
Generous levels of equipment
Well-isolated cabin at speed
Plenty of control over battery regen
Cons
Pricier than some rivals
Ride is too soft
Disappointing electric range
Max towing weight: 1800kg
WLTP range: 260-346 miles
Mercedes’ entry-point into electric motoring delivers an impressive towing capacity that matches its much larger sibling, the EQC.
In entry-level, single-motor EQA 250 guise, the compact SUV can pull 750kg, but upgrade to the twin-motor four-wheel-drive EQA 300 4Matic or EQA 350 4Matic and the maximum capacity increases to a very impressive 1800kg.
That’s easily enough for a large caravan or even a car and trailer combination if you’re planning on hauling a track car to circuits.
Currently, all versions of the EQA are available with a factory-fitted powered towbar (touch a button in the boot and it drops down from behind the rear bumper) for £750, while a Trailer Assist function for the electronic stability programme is also standard.
At speeds above 40mph, this system can gently apply individual brakes on the car to reduce any potentially dangerous swaying of the trailer, plus it can reduce motor torque and employ stronger braking force in extreme situations.
Read our Mercedes EQA review
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10. Audi Q6 E-tron
8
Pros
Clever infotainment
Great ride comfort
Steadfast dynamics
Cons
Expensive compared with rivals
Unproven range while towing
SQ6 relegated to a trim level
Max towing weight: 2400kg
WLTP range: Up to 382 miles
Audi’s Q6 E-tron is the first car in the UK to use Audi/Porsche’s sophisticated new platform. It is called PPE and it has been specially designed for ‘premium’ electric cars. Which means it will not be shared with cheaper brands such as Skoda, and it majors on dynamism and athleticism.
Curiously, though, what makes it a great steer also helps it carve out a niche as a posh tow car. The sheer maximum towing weight alone makes it useful for everyone wanting to pull heavy things along, but you will need to pay around £1000 for the towbar.
The car’s new still, so no one has had the opportunity to do much range testing. But Audi seems particularly confident in its ability to frugally munch miles with a caravan attached, without draining the battery too much.
