Towing experience

GetOffYourGas

GetOffYourGas

Well-Known Member
Are the towing-capable ID.4s on the road yet? I’d love to hear experiences. How does the car handle the weight? And the preeminent question for every mod to an EV - what is the effect on range (efficiency)?

My boat and trailer weigh about 2500lbs. It’s a sailboat which means that it will sit higher than the car due to the keel. So the extra windage is significant. The ID.4 is currently at the top of the list to replace my Bolt. At a minimum it needs to pull the boat at 55mph down a state road for only 30 miles to the marina. But it sure would be nice to actually trailer the boat to other places and explore. That means ideally able to hop on the highway at 65MPH. And we know that EA and others don’t set up their stations to accommodate trailers so it will be a hassle to unhook every time I charge. The fewer charge stops the better.


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GetOffYourGas said:
Are the towing-capable ID.4s on the road yet? I’d love to hear experiences. How does the car handle the weight? And the preeminent question for every mod to an EV - what is the effect on range (efficiency)?

My boat and trailer weigh about 2500lbs. It’s a sailboat which means that it will sit higher than the car due to the keel. So the extra windage is significant. The ID.4 is currently at the top of the list to replace my Bolt. At a minimum it needs to pull the boat at 55mph down a state road for only 30 miles to the marina. But it sure would be nice to actually trailer the boat to other places and explore. That means ideally able to hop on the highway at 65MPH. And we know that EA and others don’t set up their stations to accommodate trailers so it will be a hassle to unhook every time I charge. The fewer charge stops the better.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
Click to expand...
 
1st edition comes with a hitch receiver. AWD does as well, i believe, but non 1st edition RWD don't come with one (there are now aftermarket solutions for non 1st RWD, however.)

I can't comment on EA - it depends on the station design as some will be a pain, and others will be fine. Look at the stations you intend to use (look at plugshare photos if you have never been there).
 
Thanks for the link. I finally got a chance to watch it. That’s a pretty brutal climb but the trailer is significantly lighter than mine. I hope that future versions can tow up to 2500 lbs, even if that means I need to add brakes to my trailer (it doesn’t currently have them).

The EA comment was more of a statement than a question. I’ve been driving a Bolt for years so I have lots of experience with all DCFC stations that I’d want to use. Not one of them is set up well for towing.


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ericy said:
1st edition comes with a hitch receiver. AWD does as well, i believe, but non 1st edition RWD don't come with one (there are now aftermarket solutions for non 1st RWD, however.)

I can't comment on EA - it depends on the station design as some will be a pain, and others will be fine. Look at the stations you intend to use (look at plugshare photos if you have never been there).
Click to expand...
I've looked for trailer hitches for our non 1st gen ID-4 and have been unable to find them do you have a contact or know what company is making them? We just want to tow a really small trailer with our two kayaks on it so not a big load.
 
Google says towing limit, with brakes, is 2200#. 1650# without brakes. This is very typical of many/most cars. So at the minimum, brakes would be required. IME, towing at the very limits of the tow vehicle's limits is sketchy. Maybe a mile or two to a ramp, but not 65mph on the hiway. etrailer has all kinds of towing stuff, from hitches to brakes to add to a boat trailer. Its perhaps $3-500 (parts only) to add brakes to a boat trailer, depending on the axle, wheels, etc.
 
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