EV truck towing experiments video - aerodynamics matters

[CD4TNF]

Aging Wheels did a great EV tow testing video with a Silverado EV. Good experiments. Summary: aerodynamics matters more than weight.




Useful info for anyone learning the important factors in towing with an EV truck.

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[MountainAlive]

I had ChatGPT fix the issue for us.

 

[fhteagle]

Good video, Robert's a stitch.

The part where he talks about mpge and 33.7kWh of energy being in a gallon of gasoline is a red herring though. There may be that much thermal energy in a gallon, but not that much useful work. That's more like 10kWh/gallon. That also makes the electricity to gasoline price conversion easier too, because it's just a factor of 10 off. His $0.09/kWh is $0.90/gallon, for example.

 

[SteuLight]

When I'm towing my 6500 lb 30 ft travel trailer, I will regularly follow a Semi tractor trailer in order to eek out an extra 0.1 or 0.2 mi/kwh.

Mind you, I'm not drafting them, per se. If I've got the cruise control on, I'm still at 2 bars on the adaptive cruise. It does make a difference in range.

 

[jdmackes]

That's why I got a Trailmanor travel trailer. Since it's a popup it helps with the aerodynamics and I'm able to get 1.7-1.8 m/kw

 

[RickLightning]

Umm, doesn't this come under the heading No Sh*t Sherlock and apply to towing with gas vehicles also?

 

[Vulnox]

Umm, doesn't this come under the heading No Sh*t Sherlock and apply to towing with gas vehicles also?

Yeah, but he includes an ICE F-150 in his experiment and discussion. It was a good video and the purpose wasn't to "preach to the choir", but to get through to people that think only an ICE vehicle can tow or haul and that somehow the range loss is an EV specific issue that also happens if you just put weight in the bed.

Which is why he does tests with a bed full of roofing shingles and stuff like that which doesn't impact the profile of the vehicle.

It wasn't anything I didn't already know, and same probably goes for most on here, but it is a well done video to educate those that are maybe curious about an EV truck but have heard some of the misinformation on what impacts range.

 

[K6CCC]

Summary: aerodynamics matters more than weight.

Amen to that! Growing up, my parents had both a ski boat and a small RV trailer. The boat on it's trailer weighed about 2,000 pounds and the first RV trailer was about 1,500. The boat of course was fairly aerodynamic, and the RV was about like towing a billboard into the wind. The tow vehicle was a '67 Plymouth station wagon with a V8. Towing the boat and you hardly knew it was back there (except climbing a steep hill), and there was very little impact on mileage and therefore range. The RV on the other hand was damn near pedal to the floor at freeway speed and the mileage was almost cut in half. I remember Dad said that after 100 miles it was time to look for a gas station.

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