Tesla has finally delivered on its promise that the Model 3 electric sedan would eventually be rated for towing: the European configurator for the Tesla Model 3 has now added a towbar option. (Or as Tesla call it: a ‘tow hitch’).
For English purchasers it adds another £970 (AU$1800) to the cost of the car.
Described as a “High strength steel tow bar with a removable adapter. Capable of towing up to 910 kgs”, it answers the question that many people here ask me about EVs – as in “are there any full battery EVs that tow?”
Until now my answer is that the average BEV here is not rated for towing, with the exception of the Kangoo ZE and the Tesla Model X (and hopefully soon the Jaguar I Pace, which is now rated in the UK for towing, but not so here yet).
It also answers the question put by our esteemed Prime Minister as to whether “EVs will ruin the Australian weekend” by preventing the average Australian going on longer trips out of town along with the camping, biking or other gear that usually accompanies them.
And that answer has now been shown to be an even more emphatic ‘NO!’
The Model 3 has a WLTP driving range of 556km for the long-range version (WLTP is the new European test cycle that gives a lot closer to real-world distances), the best fast-charging network in Australia, more luggage capacity than any ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle of comparable size (the Model 3 has both front and rear storage areas) plus it now has a close to one tonne tow capacity.
An interesting side note to the UK configurator is the ‘estimated delivery’ date of June. If the Australian configurator opens soon as expected will deliveries of Model 3s begin soon here too?
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.