Flat towing a lightning behind a motorized RV?

[Langeston]

Looking at getting a class c that could tow a vehicle behind it. I’m having trouble finding definitive info about the possibility of doing this With my lightning. Does anybody have a recommendation if this is possible or advisable? One thread suggested that it was not but devolved into a discussion about a car wash and not towing the lightning multiple hundreds of miles. the manual suggests that it’s only possible for emergency situations but I wanted to reach out just in case. Thanks in advance!

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[TaxmanHog]

No, the Lightning can not be flat towed for long distances or higher speeds.

Short distance and low speeds in an emergency is possible.

 

[Langeston]

Thanks! Seemed to good to be true! Who wouldn’t want to tow a driveable 131kwh battery!

 

[MountainAlive]

On a related note though, this has been tried with a Raptor towing a Tesla and this recharged the Tesla via regen:

 

[Langeston]

Haha, what I had planned I’d probably torch my lightning before I left the state!

I understand these are complex machines and a lot of thought and engineering prowess went into them, but why can’t I just “disconnect” it for towing? (I’ve got a pretty good understanding why but I wanted to ask anyway because I’m no expert!)

 

[RickLightning]

Manual clearly says no...

 

[Mach Turtle]

I think a lot of it has to do with the type of motors. The Lightning's motors are permanent magnet types, which give great performance in certain situations but always act as generators when being pushed. The electronics almost certainly aren't designed to endure the voltages generated when the motors are being turned at highway speeds but the drive system isn't active, and the cooling system wouldn't be running with the vehicle off, making things worse.

One can't disconnect the motors because the are no clutches (for cost, simplicity, weight, and efficiency reasons) and the power drive electronics are always connected to the motors (same reasons).

I've read that some EVs have at least one induction motor. Those can be powered down in such a way that they do pretty much nothing when turned while not powered. However, the peak performance of induction motors generally isn't as good as that of our permanent magnet motors. Just another example that design choices require compromises.

 

[flux capacitor]

On a related note though, this has been tried with a Raptor towing a Tesla and this recharged the Tesla via regen:

I would imagine the fuel economy towing a Tesla in Regen mode would be horrible in a Raptor or anything else.

 

[MountainAlive]

I would imagine the fuel economy towing a Tesla in Regen mode would be horrible in a Raptor or anything else.

For sure. I think they just wanted to see what would happen.

 

[Nikos]

Looking at getting a class c that could tow a vehicle behind it. I’m having trouble finding definitive info about the possibility of doing this With my lightning. Does anybody have a recommendation if this is possible or advisable? One thread suggested that it was not but devolved into a discussion about a car wash and not towing the lightning multiple hundreds of miles. the manual suggests that it’s only possible for emergency situations but I wanted to reach out just in case. Thanks in advance!

You are not the first asking this question. I wanted to flat tow my Mach E with a Class A motorized RV.
You cannot do it with any EV in the market presently. You can put your vehicle on a tow trailer though. All four wheels on the trailer. It is also true for most of the ICE vehicles also. I wanted to pull a 2017 Mustang GT convertible with Standard 6 speed manual transmission, until I checked with Ford. To my disappointment, I cannot do that also. Then I inquired about a Bronco. Ford is listing only certain types of those Broncos that can be towed.
Your option is to purchase a trailer rated to 10000lbs or more and tow your Lightning on it. If you’re set on your Class C RV, then the trailer is the only option you have to bring your Lightning with you along on your travels.

 

[Space Flash]

Excellent Lighting info video. References emergency towing (per @RickLightning’s post) at ~15 min. mark.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Know Before You Tow - F-150 Lightning

 

[chl]

I think a lot of it has to do with the type of motors. The Lightning's motors are permanent magnet types, which give great performance in certain situations but always act as generators when being pushed. The electronics almost certainly aren't designed to endure the voltages generated when the motors are being turned at highway speeds but the drive system isn't active, and the cooling system wouldn't be running with the vehicle off, making things worse.

One can't disconnect the motors because the are no clutches (for cost, simplicity, weight, and efficiency reasons) and the power drive electronics are always connected to the motors (same reasons).

I've read that some EVs have at least one induction motor. Those can be powered down in such a way that they do pretty much nothing when turned while not powered. However, the peak performance of induction motors generally isn't as good as that of our permanent magnet motors. Just another example that design choices require compromises.

Now and then people would talk about recharging a Nissan Leaf by towing it and applying the brakes slightly for a short distance. It uses an 80-kW AC synchronous electric motor.

But Nissan says not to do it (page in my manual):

AI got it pretty much right:

Drivetrain Damage: Nissan states that you should never tow a Leaf with all four wheels on the ground because the motor is always mechanically tied to the wheels without a true neutral gear. Towing it improperly can overheat or ruin the electric powertrain.

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