Electrify America Exec Addresses Need for Stations to Accommodate EVs with Trailers

[tbinmd]

I have yet to see an EA charging site that is really setup for a truck and a trailer. Most of the stations the spots are not that wide, so keeping a trailer attached would be difficult if there's a car in the other lane. Plus you don't want to block a charging sport which I can see that happening.

In the end this made me back out of my reservation and not do an order. The amount of hassle to charge/tow with the trailer would just make trips a nightmare. The short range when towing doesn't help. Maybe in 3-5 years tech will be better and infrastructure is better prepared.

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[EaglesPDX]

The short range when towing doesn't help

Silverado EV is 400 mile range, so 200 mile between charge is reasonable for new EV tow vehicles. I think the Rivian with larger pack is also in the 400 mile range with 11k tow capacity.

Personally, unhitching to charge is not that big a deal. Audi e-Tron with trailer was charging next to me at an EVGo station and he pulled parallel to it, along the curb and it worked OK.

There are other threads with the trailers having their battery and motors to assist so then it's a 300 mile tow range.

 

[LightningLover]

I have yet to see an EA charging site that is really setup for a truck and a trailer. Most of the stations the spots are not that wide, so keeping a trailer attached would be difficult if there's a car in the other lane. Plus you don't want to block a charging sport which I can see that happening.

I have seen some that are set up to accommodate trailers but not many. Even those are not extra-wide so they might only work if no car is adjacent.

 

[TRP]

I've only been to a couple of EA sites that would accommodate a trailer, but to be fair, my experience is limited to a route between TN and MD.

As a trailer tower, I would not have a problem blocking part of a parking lot to make it work for me. I would not block another charger if I could help it, but to leave my "ass" sticking out in a Walmart parking lot...........wouldn't bother me a bit.
I've yet to see a Walmart parking enforcer.


Sorry if this comes across like I'm just an average jerk, I try not to be.

 

[tbinmd]

Personally, unhitching to charge is not that big a deal. Audi e-Tron with trailer was charging next to me at an EVGo station and he pulled parallel to it, along the curb and it worked OK.

Sure not a big deal. Really depends on the size of the trailer, find a place to park it, leaving somebody behind so it doesn't get towed or stolen. In the end it's just more time and hassle. It would not be fun in bad weather or at night.

 

[EaglesPDX]

Really depends on the size of the trailer, find a place to park it,

Parking spot in front or behind. RV's typically overnight at Walmarts so it's a common thing.

For next 10(?) years, it's going to be a small proportion of EV users, about 2.7 million have "travel trailers", that it will be hard for the charging companies to cater to them. The larger boat trailer population, 15 million are typically shorter range so something like a 300M F150EV or 400M Silverado will likely get the job done without the charger though putting them it at public boat launches would be a great idea.

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