“[An electric vehicle] won’t tow your trailer. It’s not going to tow your boat. It’s not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family.” (Scot Morrison, former Australian PM, 2019 federal election)
Those familiar with EVs back then knew the above statement to be a blatant lie … but also back then there were few EVs around and even fewer people knew much about them. As a result, the EV detractors in the Coalition parties could get away with hammering away at the idea in an effort to score points in a growing culture war over climate change.
However, most (if not yet all) of Australia knows a lot more about EVs and EV towing capacities now. (And, perhaps, to also not trust their erstwhile representatives’ more controversial statements without checking the facts).
The truth of the matter is that not only can full-battery EVs (BEVs) tow – their torque characteristics allow for easier take-offs on slopes and slippery surfaces … like boat ramps. The key point though is the manufacturers had to bother rating their BEVs for towing, which early in the day wasn’t done for many of the models on offer.
Now, many BEVs receive tow ratings at their launch or soon after. (For a summary list of the features of all BEVs on the Australian market, including their tow ratings, see AEVA.au/fact-sheets).
Along those lines, KGM (formerly Ssangyong) have just revised the tow rating for the all-wheel drive (AWD) version of their Musso EV dual-cab ute. Formerly rated to 1,800kg (braked trailer) for both the 2WD and AWD versions, KGM now rate the AWD version for towing up to 2,300kg.
As such, it not only steals the march on Toyota’sAWD electric Hilux (currently rated to 2000kg), it improves the capability of an electric AWD ute to tow a reasonably-sized caravan or boat away for the weekend to reach one’s favourite camping or fishing spot.
If you were scoring the match, I’d say it’s BEV utes one, Scott Morrison … forever zero (except on emissions).
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