EV - TV

Bruce O

Novice
Anyone towing with an EV? If so what does it do for your car's battery range?

Also - if I understand correctly.. the alternator (ICE vehicle) charges the battery in the CI while driving. EV's don't have an alternator so the CI doesn't get charged while driving? Am I missing something here?

Thoughts??

Thanks.
 
I just got an EV and haven't towed yet. I'm expecting both things to happen, less range and yes the CI won't be charged while driving. I think estimates are a range loss in the neighborhood of 40%. I'll be taking a long trip in May and will document the results. I'll try to post results here when I arrive back home in June.
 
I just got an EV and haven't towed yet. I'm expecting both things to happen, less range and yes the CI won't be charged while driving. I think estimates are a range loss in the neighborhood of 40%. I'll be taking a long trip in May and will document the results. I'll try to post results here when I arrive back home in June.,
dougbee - I'm really interested in hearing about your experience. Have a pleasant, safe trip!
 
Anyone towing with an EV? If so what does it do for your car's battery range?

Also - if I understand correctly.. the alternator (ICE vehicle) charges the battery in the CI while driving. EV's don't have an alternator so the CI doesn't get charged while driving? Am I missing something here?

Thoughts??

Thanks.

Cary in sales might know some one by now, he'd be your best resource for this. What EV are you looking it? I know that there are some draconian limitations on some which will pretty much void your warranty then there are the other extreme which embrace it. Which I find interesting becuase those same cars (I'm thinking Tesla Model 3) do tow in the EU.

From what I have been told, it makes a significant hit on economy. Personally, with the 'fragility' of batteries (they don't like fast charges or full charges, nor heavy loads) I'm personally of the mindset that internal combusion is the way to go. The thought of an $60,000 repair bill in a few years leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Not to mention, the shorter range and charge times if you are a long distance touring mindset. FWIW, I have also heard of campgrounds getting really upset if you plug into the power poles for recharging...Their 'sites' are usually pretty overloaded anyway. I know I've seen voltages at 104 at the pole --- this is very dangerous for rvs.

I know on my Rav4 Hybrid, there is a small 12 volt battery that is used essentailly to 'boot' the rest of the electrical system on startup. I have the CTEK onboard charge controler that acts as a battery isolator and solar controller. A worthwhile purchase to be sure.
 
Vaguely related:

I was interested to see the debut of the Forester Hybrid, which looks great. I was disappointed it had a 1,500-pound towing limit. (Generally common in hybrids.)

Of current hybrids, I noted the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is one of the few with a proper 3,500-pound towing limit. I'll be curious what future Wilderness Hybrids might be (and what they'd do about space for a spare tire, lost due to the battery pack).
 
Cary in sales might know some one by now, he'd be your best resource for this. What EV are you looking it? I know that there are some draconian limitations on some which will pretty much void your warranty then there are the other extreme which embrace it. Which I find interesting becuase those same cars (I'm thinking Tesla Model 3) do tow in the EU.

From what I have been told, it makes a significant hit on economy. Personally, with the 'fragility' of batteries (they don't like fast charges or full charges, nor heavy loads) I'm personally of the mindset that internal combusion is the way to go. The thought of an $60,000 repair bill in a few years leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Not to mention, the shorter range and charge times if you are a long distance touring mindset. FWIW, I have also heard of campgrounds getting really upset if you plug into the power poles for recharging...Their 'sites' are usually pretty overloaded anyway. I know I've seen voltages at 104 at the pole --- this is very dangerous for rvs.

I know on my Rav4 Hybrid, there is a small 12 volt battery that is used essentailly to 'boot' the rest of the electrical system on startup. I have the CTEK onboard charge controler that acts as a battery isolator and solar controller. A worthwhile purchase to be sure.
I have an Audi e-tron and the range is sub 280 miles. 40% loss of range may be more than I’d feel comfortable. Thinking about installing a hitch for the CI but not sure. I’d love to get rid of my ICE TV as its miles are getting up there but it’s still running strong.

I upgraded to the CTEK too a few years ago. Most, if not all camping is off the grid. I prefer the non-electric sites at state campgrounds because it’s usually a lot quieter - I don’t really use a lot of electric, just lights. I also bring along a small power bank for recharging my phone.
 
If the EV has a 12 volt battery (and I think they all do) then there is an onboard inverter that charges the 12 volt. My hybrid RAV4 has a 12 volt that gets charged exactly the same way, through an inverter. It's doing the same thing an alternator would do in an ICE vehicle.

I believe the CI charges from the 7 pin being connected to the 12V battery in the TV. The 12V battery drawing from the alternator (ICE) or inverter (EV/Hybrid) as it needs to. That's my theory but you should probably check with Cary.

I'll also add that my rooftop solar actually charges the CI when I'm traveling, same as it does when it's sitting. So I'm not too sure how much it matters if you have rooftop solar.
 
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I'll chime in by citing this CI Forum post from Sept 2023 (to be fair, it's hidden in a wonderful catchall thread, so it's hard to find):
Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

Since then, some long driving days have provided me with more reliable mileage data, summarized on a different website:
https://www.kiaevforums.com/threads...per-trailer.12772/?post_id=167742#post-167742

Feel free to reach out to me with any EVTV questions. I am a proponent (TV power and weight, not to mention power at non-electric campsites), but there are nontrivial considerations (range hit, poor charging infrastructure).
 
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