18.9 kWh/17.2 kWh = 1.0988 That means you used 10% more energy not 5%. The confirmation is when you multiply 17.2 x 1.10 and get 18.9. But it's a major success to only lose 10% towing and your video is a great testimonial for the designers of that trailer and it shows you chose a great pairing for an EV. Thank you for doing this test and sharing your results.
When you started talking about the trailer, I was briefly regretting purchasing a utility trailer, which I bought mainly for camping. Then I looked up the price, and am suddenly super happy with my utility trailer purchase. 😆 In addition to costing about 90% less, it weighs only 400 labs. I decided that I wouldn't tow more than 1000 lbs with this car, so that still leaves me with 600 lbs for cargo. It can also do things like carry bicycles without buying additional parts, and haul things like plywood. I'm curious to see how your efficiency test came out compared to mine. I got about 25-30% less distance towing about 800 pounds (including bikes standing up, so not great aerodynamics), but I compared to similar speed (around 90 on average). If I compared to going 110, the difference would have been more like 15%. (my estimates are pretty rough, because I am comparing typical averages with no trailer to one specific trip with the trailer)
Thanks for your video. I don't plan to do any kind of towing when I get my 2023 Bolt EV LT2 model this spring 2023, but watched the video and it is great information you provided. I have test driven one at the dealership and really like how the vehicle performs. take care.
I can't over how quiet electric cars are... So cool. I wanted to get a Chevy Bolt but the towing factor played a role for me not to get it. The Volvo XC60 pure electric does have a towing capacity I believe at 3,300 pound's.
Great job! I don’t have a Bolt, but it’s nice to know that the trailer won’t (hopefully ) be gas guzzler. I’m going fron Texas to North Carolina to pick up mine GO so I’ll try to record gas usage just for the fun of it. Thanks for doing the interesting stuff. 😊
Gosh that was interesting and insightful. I wondered about tying a trailer in and EV. Now I know the effects of towing another energy efficient trailer. Thanks for making the video. It was very helpful!
Great video, Dustin. We get our hitch next week. We're hoping to tow something a tiny bit larger. We're focused on the Aliner Scout Lite, which has a dry weight of about 1200 pounds. Fingers crossed.
Regen probably plays a huge roll in the efficiency here. More mass to expend electrons on also means more mass to recoup those electrons. You will of course always consume more overall power when towing, but that 5% margin would likely be higher without regen.
Great video Dustin. Kinda surprising too. We have a model Y tesla on order and we will be towing a T@B 400 tear drop trailer (also on order). I don’t expect your results as it is three times as heavy as well as being 7.5 feet wide and 8 feet tall. But I’m sure we’ll figure it out. Kudos for slowing down when towing. The physics changes drastically when towing. I wish more people realized that. Find a slow RVer or truck and get in behind them. Relax and arrive alive. Subscribed. Take care.
@@DustinBatchelor I’ll try and remember to get back to you with results. We are from the Okanagan but our first major trip will be on the island. Cheers.
Very insightful video, thanks as I was looking into the Sylvan Go (both light and aerodynamic) and was wondering how it would affect a Model 3 which in the EU has the Tesla tow hitch option.
I have a 2023 Bolt EV and a Sylvan Go. I am putting on a 2" EcoHitch ECOX7359 . But I need a riser to bring it up to 17" high as required by Sylvansport. What size riser will I need to buy? Thanks Michael
Hey there, unfortunately I can't help you here. My draw tite is 1.25" and sits lower than the eco hitch. You'll need to park on a fairly level surface, level out the SylvanSport, drive up to it, and measure how much rise you'll need in your ball mount.
for a small car doing tow job, EV cars with heavier weights relatively (to similar sized cars due to battery weight) actually help with towing (at some level). A similar sized car towing will probably have the MPG fold in half (50%!) to be honest
Amazing how little extra power it took to tow that trailer! Good to see a new vid from you. Be safe with your Bolt. They’ve been a “hot” topic as of late…
Yeah I was very surprised by the results. Thanks for watching, and I'm hoping to keep the content coming! Definitely looking forward to the new battery with the biggest capacity, but honestly I'm also on the fence of just selling it once they battery is replaced and buying something else. It's just unfortunate that I didn't budget on replacing the Bolt for another 3 or 4 years.
Great video, thank you for all your efforts. I just bought the Bolt EUV, and wasn't sure about adding a tow hitch, thanks to you, I'm adding one. Did you install your hitch? What wiring harness did you use? Did you do your test with one pedal driving on while towing?
I installed the hitch myself. The brand of the hitch is Drawtitie, and I would buy again for sure. The trailer wiring harness is completely different from the original Bolt to the new EUV. I'd suggest going to the website Etrailer.com, putting in your model of EUV, and looking at all the towing options there. And yes I always drive with a mix of one pedal driving on and off.
I bought it used in early 2020. I have a buyers guide video for the Bolt, but in terms of reliability I have had zero issues. It's been a very dependable car and I use it for all kinds of difficult things. Almost always have a mountain bike or surf board on it, I've gone on a few several thousand kilometer road trips, and it was my households only vehicle up until this August.
Fantastic review, thank you very much. It fits very nicely into the towing reviews of Rivian and F150 Lightning with the huge trailer. They had +50% efficiency penalty. Now, one little thing: 17.2 and 18.9 is 10% increase, right?
Thanks for the comments! Just did the math and I come out with 9%. It's been a while since I did this test and I was very tired when I did it! I used this trailer multiple times this summer and didn't notice a notable decline in range outside of that.
I'd also make the argument that with all the towing videos coming out, they should all do the route first without a trailer as your consumption will always be higher at highway speeds anyways. So perhaps that Ford lightning might have lost 25% of its range anyways going those speeds, so really it only had a 25% penalty compared to normal. Anyways, seems like the popular thing to do right now is to trash EV capability :)
@@DustinBatchelor I agree. There is another factor. These big trailers have brakes. And obviously, these are not Regen brakes. So, while yours doesn't have (doesn't need) brakes, their trailers loose lots of energy due to non-regenerative braking. That is not accounted for.
How much does the trailer weigh? Did you add a transmission oil cooler? I would say 1000 pounds max. The car is not set up for towing with unibody frame, weak mount points thickness of steal etc. Can the shocks handle the loads the balance of the car in very important. Sure you can tow a boat with a lawn mower and any car. I bought a LR4 for towing my boat and and another car for economy. Doing both if only once in a while is ok I would not recommend with a Bolt though. Just asking for trouble. Rent a truck if its just once in a while. I tow a boat but use a 4x4 with real steal frame and drive like I have nothing behind it don't even feel it 70mph no issue. Why risk life over a tiny trailer.
It's 850lbs and is designed to be towed by almost any car on the road. Luckily no transmission on an EV (fixed gear ratio). EVs are quite heavy and therefore have a robust shock setup. I do agree it's important to make sure you are smart with what you are towing. Putting a huge boat on the back of a Bolt is a bad idea, but with minimal tongue weight and a low tow weight, the car handles it great. Another beauty thing with an EV is you have so much power available, plus you have two strong braking systems (disc brakes and the electric motor braking). I'm currently towing this with my bigger mustang Mach E as it's a faster charging car with more range :)
@@DustinBatchelor 850 pounds empty? You have to weigh it fully loaded. Are you sure there is no fluid in a Bolts Transmission. Fixed gear does not mean zero oil and zero heat. I looked it up, the fluid in a bolt is good for 150k which really means 1/2 that. If you tow often 1/2 that again. The fluid will degrade much faster under tow/heat conditions. So while its simple in moving parts he still will get hotter towing. That is why Most cars put a transmission cooler inline when they put a tow hitch on them even a Jeep. I've owned many cars since the 60s and towed boats, snowmobiles etc etc. Burned out transmission Ive been there and done that. Even own a Volt (not bolt)
@@DustinBatchelor Yea I bought a Volt they have good torque. I like the backup gas generator, I don't trust pure electric (yet). I think the perfect car is a Volt with the battery of the bolt or tesla. That back up engine is a nice to have. Too bad its discontinued. Yea you should be ok even without a transmission cooler. I would change the fluid by 100k if you keep it that long and depends on how much you tow. Its a bit more wear and tear on the entire car. The tranny do have oil but fewer fail areas, they are more likely to fail on electronics in the transmission. Enjoy your set up!
Hi! I went with a drawtite hitch and installed it myself. It was extremely easy to do with basic tools and took me about 45 minutes. The website etrailer.com is a great resource for finding towing products that fit the car. In regards to the wiring harness, that was a real pain to install. I also did it myself but I'd probably suggest that you try to get a place like U-Haul to install that.
I towed about a living room and two bedrooms of things with my 2013 Volt from east Tennessee to Western Oregon. The car handled it fine but at like 8 mpg. Ruined my lifetime mpg which sits at 50.3...
Hey sorry for the delay in response, UA-cam isn't notifying me of comments. These are the stock springs and they hold up very well. The Bolt is a heavy car and the springs are already a bit beefed up from factory. When I've had the trailer and car really loaded up I've noticed sag for sure, but it still has lots of movements.
That difference between with and without the trailer (5%) is about the same as I get running AC (7%). Wild... Thanks for doing the real-world experiment.
Yes I installed it myself which was very easy to do. 40 minutes total without jacking the car up. Went with the Drawtite. I also did the wiring myself, although that was not nearly as fun. There's a guide a person created that I followed which I can try to find a link to if you want. Wiring is much easier on the new Bolt EUV.
I'd say it's probably right on the limit. I myself wouldn't go beyond 1500, so once you add some belongings you'll be past that. Definitely don't go past 2000 lbs.
@@DustinBatchelor Do you foresee anything specific as the fail point? From watching some videos on the hitch installation, it seems fairly well designed. For reference, our trailer has its own brakes actually that work without a brake controller. Our current vehicle is a Subaru Outback with a 3500 lb curb weight, 170 HP and 170 lbs of torque. All those numbers are less than a stock Chevy Bolt.
@@disc-golf the car itself won't have any problem in terms of power - my main concern would be with the braking. As long as you have that then you'd probably be fine. Note that with separate brakes on the trailer you're going to lose out on a bunch of regenerative braking on the car which will reduce your range more when towing.
@@DustinBatchelor Fair point! With that being said, while the trailer will be doing some of the braking for the whole unit (car + trailer)...the car still has to slow down at the end of the day. When going downhill, we wouldn't be braking, so the regen should still kick in full bore. Do you know what % grade hill you were running up on your tests?
What harness did you use for the trailer brake lights? Was it hard to install? I tried to hire a few people to install the harness but no one could. Any help I really appreciate
I bought the Tekonsha Modulite HD Protector Trailer Light Power Module (p/n 119148). It's quite the pain in the ass to do. I did do it myself following this guide drive.google.com/file/d/1OdlXkOxxJLZBquvj7EIUvjS0n4rYjMzp/view?usp=sharing
Do you have an elevation profile for your trip? I would guess the uphill portion of your trip would be more negatively affected by the weight than the flat section of your trip. Someone's trip up into the Sierra Nevadas (California resident here!) could take a much larger hit than 5%, since you are basically driving uphill almost the whole way.
Thanks for the question! Unfortunately I do not have an elevation profile. I was going to have an elevation recording app running but ended up not doing it. Definitely some situations will see a much higher usage. All I can really say is that here on Vancouver Island there isn't much flat driving on the southern side, it's pretty much a constant mix of up and down.
Less than a quarter dollar for 160 km. Not worth talking about for that price. Thanks, I sent the video to my daughter in Duncan. they are interested in the trailer.
Draw-Tite Sportframe 1 1/4". If I was to do it again I probably would get the Eco Hitch, but that's just to get the 2" receiver for a larger bike rack.
I think you could have skipped all the on screen calculations and just had the wrap up at the end. It would also have been safer to use the recorded video as your reference instead of writing and calculating while driving. Otherwise, I liked your video.
According to this low point it is possible to say bolt cooling system works well for protection against overheating electronic components or engine too.
Thanks for the comment! The car is four years old with almost 90,000km on it. I'm not very concerned that anything is going to happen with it regarding the batteries. For the most part the car is driven once or twice a week and charged every two to four weeks. It's a car and I'll use it as I need :)
I disagree with your conclusion. Your change in speed had a huge impact. 15 minutes in 2 hours is about 10%, which has a 21% impact on aerodynamic drag. To really measure efficiency you absolutely must keep the speed, and wind, the same. So, the real effect is closer to 25%.
Thanks for the comment! I stand by my results, as I will absolutely not drive the same when towing something. This is real world results in my opinion. You need to plan your braking sooner, think about the hills coming up, and navigate traffic differently. Nothing worse than a vehicle towing a trailer passing everyone. I know in the USA there are some highways where vehicles towing are restricted to a lower speed - there's a reason for this. Anyways, I'm regularly towing my trailer to all kinds of campsites with my EV, and loving every moment of it. As soon as I hook up a trailer I become a different driver - I'm not in nearly as much of a rush as I normally am.
18.9 kWh/17.2 kWh = 1.0988 That means you used 10% more energy not 5%. The confirmation is when you multiply 17.2 x 1.10 and get 18.9. But it's a major success to only lose 10% towing and your video is a great testimonial for the designers of that trailer and it shows you chose a great pairing for an EV. Thank you for doing this test and sharing your results.
Thanks for the clarification, appreciate the feedback!
When you started talking about the trailer, I was briefly regretting purchasing a utility trailer, which I bought mainly for camping. Then I looked up the price, and am suddenly super happy with my utility trailer purchase. 😆 In addition to costing about 90% less, it weighs only 400 labs. I decided that I wouldn't tow more than 1000 lbs with this car, so that still leaves me with 600 lbs for cargo. It can also do things like carry bicycles without buying additional parts, and haul things like plywood. I'm curious to see how your efficiency test came out compared to mine. I got about 25-30% less distance towing about 800 pounds (including bikes standing up, so not great aerodynamics), but I compared to similar speed (around 90 on average). If I compared to going 110, the difference would have been more like 15%. (my estimates are pretty rough, because I am comparing typical averages with no trailer to one specific trip with the trailer)
I am considering pulling a small bike trailer with my KTM on it. This video gives me the confidence to go ahead and put a hitch on my 2022 Bolt EUV.
Awesome! Let me know how it goes :)
Exactly what I was interested in and planning to do. Thanks Dustin.
Thanks for your video. I don't plan to do any kind of towing when I get my 2023 Bolt EV LT2 model this spring 2023, but watched the video and it is great information you provided. I have test driven one at the dealership and really like how the vehicle performs.
take care.
Thanks for the comment! Enjoy your new Bolt!
Looks like energy recovery helped a lot, thanks bro.
I own a bolt and in the market for a Sylvan, I cannot thank you enough
Thanks for the comment! Glad it helped you out
Thanks for the comment! Glad it helped you out
Excellent...answered My questions...I WILL be purchasing a 2017 Bolt to tow My 12K WhisperWatt Generator!
😂
I can't over how quiet electric cars are... So cool. I wanted to get a Chevy Bolt but the towing factor played a role for me not to get it. The Volvo XC60 pure electric does have a towing capacity I believe at 3,300 pound's.
Great job! I don’t have a Bolt, but it’s nice to know that the trailer won’t (hopefully ) be gas guzzler. I’m going fron Texas to North Carolina to pick up mine GO so I’ll try to record gas usage just for the fun of it. Thanks for doing the interesting stuff. 😊
Thanks for the comments! You're going to love your Go!
Gosh that was interesting and insightful. I wondered about tying a trailer in and EV. Now I know the effects of towing another energy efficient trailer. Thanks for making the video. It was very helpful!
Thanks for the comment! I'm camping with this setup right now :)
Best video I've ever seen on this.
Thanks!
Great video, Dustin. We get our hitch next week. We're hoping to tow something a tiny bit larger. We're focused on the Aliner Scout Lite, which has a dry weight of about 1200 pounds. Fingers crossed.
Shouldn't be an issue at all. My car pulls the SylvanSport with zero issue.
Great video. You get better efficiency towing that trailer than I get with just my summer tires!
Thanks for the comment! Yes it was very surprising.
Regen probably plays a huge roll in the efficiency here. More mass to expend electrons on also means more mass to recoup those electrons. You will of course always consume more overall power when towing, but that 5% margin would likely be higher without regen.
Great video!
Thanks!
Great video Dustin. Kinda surprising too. We have a model Y tesla on order and we will be towing a T@B 400 tear drop trailer (also on order). I don’t expect your results as it is three times as heavy as well as being 7.5 feet wide and 8 feet tall. But I’m sure we’ll figure it out.
Kudos for slowing down when towing. The physics changes drastically when towing. I wish more people realized that. Find a slow RVer or truck and get in behind them. Relax and arrive alive.
Subscribed.
Take care.
Thanks for the comments, very much appreciated! Good luck with the Model Y and the trailer, should be great!
@@DustinBatchelor I’ll try and remember to get back to you with results. We are from the Okanagan but our first major trip will be on the island.
Cheers.
Great vid we have a 2017 bolt also, we tow a MYPOD, there's a loss of about 40 miles range. But it's an awsone camper.
Very insightful video, thanks as I was looking into the Sylvan Go (both light and aerodynamic) and was wondering how it would affect a Model 3 which in the EU has the Tesla tow hitch option.
I have a 2023 Bolt EV and a Sylvan Go. I am putting on a 2" EcoHitch ECOX7359 . But I need a riser to bring it up to 17" high as required by Sylvansport. What size riser will I need to buy? Thanks Michael
Hey there, unfortunately I can't help you here. My draw tite is 1.25" and sits lower than the eco hitch. You'll need to park on a fairly level surface, level out the SylvanSport, drive up to it, and measure how much rise you'll need in your ball mount.
@DustinBatchelor thanks for the incredibly fast response and hint. I didn't think you could tow with the 1.25" hitch. Sylvansport says 2"
@@michaellewin6075 so it needs a 2" hitch ball, not a 2" receiver :)
for a small car doing tow job, EV cars with heavier weights relatively (to similar sized cars due to battery weight) actually help with towing (at some level). A similar sized car towing will probably have the MPG fold in half (50%!) to be honest
Amazing how little extra power it took to tow that trailer! Good to see a new vid from you. Be safe with your Bolt. They’ve been a “hot” topic as of late…
Yeah I was very surprised by the results. Thanks for watching, and I'm hoping to keep the content coming! Definitely looking forward to the new battery with the biggest capacity, but honestly I'm also on the fence of just selling it once they battery is replaced and buying something else. It's just unfortunate that I didn't budget on replacing the Bolt for another 3 or 4 years.
@@DustinBatchelor ok well keep us posted! Again, be safe! 👍
Great video, thank you for all your efforts. I just bought the Bolt EUV, and wasn't sure about adding a tow hitch, thanks to you, I'm adding one.
Did you install your hitch?
What wiring harness did you use?
Did you do your test with one pedal driving on while towing?
I installed the hitch myself. The brand of the hitch is Drawtitie, and I would buy again for sure. The trailer wiring harness is completely different from the original Bolt to the new EUV. I'd suggest going to the website Etrailer.com, putting in your model of EUV, and looking at all the towing options there. And yes I always drive with a mix of one pedal driving on and off.
@@DustinBatchelor thank you for the info, I'm really enjoying the Bolt EUV, a great value (in the US) for a very well built EV.
Dustin. Did you buy your bolt new in 2017? How has it been over the years? Or, Do you have a video on that topic already?
I bought it used in early 2020. I have a buyers guide video for the Bolt, but in terms of reliability I have had zero issues. It's been a very dependable car and I use it for all kinds of difficult things. Almost always have a mountain bike or surf board on it, I've gone on a few several thousand kilometer road trips, and it was my households only vehicle up until this August.
Fantastic review, thank you very much. It fits very nicely into the towing reviews of Rivian and F150 Lightning with the huge trailer. They had +50% efficiency penalty. Now, one little thing: 17.2 and 18.9 is 10% increase, right?
Thanks for the comments! Just did the math and I come out with 9%. It's been a while since I did this test and I was very tired when I did it! I used this trailer multiple times this summer and didn't notice a notable decline in range outside of that.
I'd also make the argument that with all the towing videos coming out, they should all do the route first without a trailer as your consumption will always be higher at highway speeds anyways. So perhaps that Ford lightning might have lost 25% of its range anyways going those speeds, so really it only had a 25% penalty compared to normal. Anyways, seems like the popular thing to do right now is to trash EV capability :)
@@DustinBatchelor I agree. There is another factor. These big trailers have brakes. And obviously, these are not Regen brakes. So, while yours doesn't have (doesn't need) brakes, their trailers loose lots of energy due to non-regenerative braking. That is not accounted for.
@@stanislavjaracz great point!
How much does the trailer weigh? Did you add a transmission oil cooler? I would say 1000 pounds max. The car is not set up for towing with unibody frame, weak mount points thickness of steal etc. Can the shocks handle the loads the balance of the car in very important. Sure you can tow a boat with a lawn mower and any car. I bought a LR4 for towing my boat and and another car for economy. Doing both if only once in a while is ok I would not recommend with a Bolt though. Just asking for trouble.
Rent a truck if its just once in a while. I tow a boat but use a 4x4 with real steal frame and drive like I have nothing behind it don't even feel it 70mph no issue. Why risk life over a tiny trailer.
It's 850lbs and is designed to be towed by almost any car on the road. Luckily no transmission on an EV (fixed gear ratio). EVs are quite heavy and therefore have a robust shock setup.
I do agree it's important to make sure you are smart with what you are towing. Putting a huge boat on the back of a Bolt is a bad idea, but with minimal tongue weight and a low tow weight, the car handles it great. Another beauty thing with an EV is you have so much power available, plus you have two strong braking systems (disc brakes and the electric motor braking).
I'm currently towing this with my bigger mustang Mach E as it's a faster charging car with more range :)
@@DustinBatchelor 850 pounds empty? You have to weigh it fully loaded.
Are you sure there is no fluid in a Bolts Transmission. Fixed gear does not mean zero oil and zero heat. I looked it up, the fluid in a bolt is good for 150k which really means 1/2 that. If you tow often 1/2 that again. The fluid will degrade much faster under tow/heat conditions. So while its simple in moving parts he still will get hotter towing. That is why Most cars put a transmission cooler inline when they put a tow hitch on them even a Jeep. I've owned many cars since the 60s and towed boats, snowmobiles etc etc. Burned out transmission Ive been there and done that. Even own a Volt (not bolt)
@@DustinBatchelor Yea I bought a Volt they have good torque. I like the backup gas generator, I don't trust pure electric (yet). I think the perfect car is a Volt with the battery of the bolt or tesla. That back up engine is a nice to have. Too bad its discontinued. Yea you should be ok even without a transmission cooler. I would change the fluid by 100k if you keep it that long and depends on how much you tow. Its a bit more wear and tear on the entire car. The tranny do have oil but fewer fail areas, they are more likely to fail on electronics in the transmission.
Enjoy your set up!
I have a 2021 Bolt and would like to purchase a Go. The GM dealer won't do my hitch. Where did you get yours done and what type of hitch is it? Thanks
Hi! I went with a drawtite hitch and installed it myself. It was extremely easy to do with basic tools and took me about 45 minutes. The website etrailer.com is a great resource for finding towing products that fit the car. In regards to the wiring harness, that was a real pain to install. I also did it myself but I'd probably suggest that you try to get a place like U-Haul to install that.
Thank you Dustin, that's awesome! Happy travels
I towed about a living room and two bedrooms of things with my 2013 Volt from east Tennessee to Western Oregon. The car handled it fine but at like 8 mpg. Ruined my lifetime mpg which sits at 50.3...
Did you have to change the rear shocks?
Hey sorry for the delay in response, UA-cam isn't notifying me of comments. These are the stock springs and they hold up very well. The Bolt is a heavy car and the springs are already a bit beefed up from factory. When I've had the trailer and car really loaded up I've noticed sag for sure, but it still has lots of movements.
That difference between with and without the trailer (5%) is about the same as I get running AC (7%). Wild...
Thanks for doing the real-world experiment.
Did you install the hitch yourself? What about the wiring.
Yes I installed it myself which was very easy to do. 40 minutes total without jacking the car up. Went with the Drawtite. I also did the wiring myself, although that was not nearly as fun. There's a guide a person created that I followed which I can try to find a link to if you want. Wiring is much easier on the new Bolt EUV.
@@DustinBatchelor OK.. No you don't need to try to find it. I don't even have a bolt ev yet.. Just considering it!
Great video Dustin!
Thanks Glenn!
What are your thoughts on towing a ~1500 pound Scamp with the Bolt?
I'd say it's probably right on the limit. I myself wouldn't go beyond 1500, so once you add some belongings you'll be past that. Definitely don't go past 2000 lbs.
@@DustinBatchelor Do you foresee anything specific as the fail point? From watching some videos on the hitch installation, it seems fairly well designed. For reference, our trailer has its own brakes actually that work without a brake controller. Our current vehicle is a Subaru Outback with a 3500 lb curb weight, 170 HP and 170 lbs of torque. All those numbers are less than a stock Chevy Bolt.
@@disc-golf the car itself won't have any problem in terms of power - my main concern would be with the braking. As long as you have that then you'd probably be fine. Note that with separate brakes on the trailer you're going to lose out on a bunch of regenerative braking on the car which will reduce your range more when towing.
@@DustinBatchelor Fair point! With that being said, while the trailer will be doing some of the braking for the whole unit (car + trailer)...the car still has to slow down at the end of the day. When going downhill, we wouldn't be braking, so the regen should still kick in full bore. Do you know what % grade hill you were running up on your tests?
@@disc-golf unfortunately I don't have the grade for the trip.
What harness did you use for the trailer brake lights? Was it hard to install? I tried to hire a few people to install the harness but no one could. Any help I really appreciate
I bought the Tekonsha Modulite HD Protector Trailer Light Power Module (p/n 119148). It's quite the pain in the ass to do. I did do it myself following this guide drive.google.com/file/d/1OdlXkOxxJLZBquvj7EIUvjS0n4rYjMzp/view?usp=sharing
I’m wanting to do this with mine and tow a small zero turn mower.
Do you have an elevation profile for your trip? I would guess the uphill portion of your trip would be more negatively affected by the weight than the flat section of your trip. Someone's trip up into the Sierra Nevadas (California resident here!) could take a much larger hit than 5%, since you are basically driving uphill almost the whole way.
Thanks for the question! Unfortunately I do not have an elevation profile. I was going to have an elevation recording app running but ended up not doing it. Definitely some situations will see a much higher usage. All I can really say is that here on Vancouver Island there isn't much flat driving on the southern side, it's pretty much a constant mix of up and down.
Less than a quarter dollar for 160 km. Not worth talking about for that price. Thanks, I sent the video to my daughter in Duncan. they are interested in the trailer.
Thanks Eric!
What towing hitch are you using?
Draw-Tite Sportframe 1 1/4". If I was to do it again I probably would get the Eco Hitch, but that's just to get the 2" receiver for a larger bike rack.
@@DustinBatchelor thanks, was just my question.
I think you could have skipped all the on screen calculations and just had the wrap up at the end. It would also have been safer to use the recorded video as your reference instead of writing and calculating while driving. Otherwise, I liked your video.
Thanks for comments!
trip with trailer is showing 0.132 kw/h more vs w/o trailer. no bad at all.
According to this low point it is possible to say bolt cooling system works well for protection against overheating electronic components or engine too.
More time when pulling is normal for gas cars too.
I woudn't be taxing those batterys until gm gets around to fixing them in the next 5-6 years.
Thanks for the comment! The car is four years old with almost 90,000km on it. I'm not very concerned that anything is going to happen with it regarding the batteries. For the most part the car is driven once or twice a week and charged every two to four weeks. It's a car and I'll use it as I need :)
They already replaced mine.
I disagree with your conclusion. Your change in speed had a huge impact. 15 minutes in 2 hours is about 10%, which has a 21% impact on aerodynamic drag. To really measure efficiency you absolutely must keep the speed, and wind, the same. So, the real effect is closer to 25%.
Thanks for the comment! I stand by my results, as I will absolutely not drive the same when towing something. This is real world results in my opinion. You need to plan your braking sooner, think about the hills coming up, and navigate traffic differently. Nothing worse than a vehicle towing a trailer passing everyone. I know in the USA there are some highways where vehicles towing are restricted to a lower speed - there's a reason for this.
Anyways, I'm regularly towing my trailer to all kinds of campsites with my EV, and loving every moment of it. As soon as I hook up a trailer I become a different driver - I'm not in nearly as much of a rush as I normally am.