Can Electric Cars Tow Caravans? Best EVs for Towing

As electric vehicles become increasingly common on UK roads, more caravan owners are asking whether they’re capable of towing safely and efficiently.

The good news is that many modern EVs are approved for towing and offer impressive towing capacities. However, towing with an electric vehicle differs significantly from towing with a petrol or diesel car, particularly when it comes to battery range, charging stops and vehicle selection.

Before choosing an electric tow car, it’s important to understand how towing capacity, battery size and caravan weight work together.

Absolutely – as long as you choose an electric car approved for towing. These days many EVs hold their own against traditional petrol or diesel counterparts when it comes to their towing capabilities whereas, previously, not all EVs were capable of pulling caravans. The EV market has grown substantially and there is now a wide range of vehicles suitable for towing.
Many EV manufacturers offer tow bars as an option when your order, but it’s very important to note that the same ‘rules’ apply for EVs as they do for conventional cars. Each electric vehicle has a distinct towing rating, and checking the weight against the EV’s capacity is crucial. You should not attempt to tow a caravan which is above the towing capacity of your EV.

Adding extra load to your drive reduces efficiency, which means your EV will require more frequent charging, akin to the increased number of fuel stops for traditional vehicles hauling caravans. Further impact on driving capability includes slower acceleration and braking, which is typical of any vehicle towing a caravan.

EVs offer advantages to drivers who are towing caravans as, with no gears, there is consistent power at all speeds, ensuring truly easy handling. In addition, the reduced noise and generally much smoother drive experience of an EV elevates the experience over towing using petrol cars.

As we mentioned a moment ago, increasing load reduces efficiency so more frequent EV charging stops will be required when on the road. The distance an EV can tow a caravan depends on factors such as the car’s normal range and the sort of terrain being travelled, as well as the weight being towed. Some sources suggest that there can potentially be a 50% reduction in range when an EV is towing a heavy caravan.