Electric car towing test: the inconvenient truth about EV range
Hyundai Ioniq 9
Limiting the Hyundai's top speed to 60mph helped with its efficiency over our test route, and we saw 2.8mi/kWh when we arrived at Land's End. That means a range of 309 miles is on offer, and with 59 per cent capacity remaining when we arrived, Ellis could have easily headed back to Exeter without recharging. Latest Hyundai Ioniq 9 deals[2]
The bailey behind us
Our test wouldn't have been possible without the generous assistance of British caravan manufacturer Bailey of Bristol.
Its mid-range Unicorn Deluxe Cabrera costs GBP33,399 and is a four-berth model that features a double bed, a front lounge with the option of twin or double-bed sleeping, a kitchen with a fridge, a washroom, a separate shower, LED interior lighting, a digital TV aerial, radiator heating, a Sonos Bluetooth speaker and even a solar panel for extra power. At 2.26 metres wide, 7.3 metres long and 2.7 metres tall, it's one
of the larger single-axle caravans available on the market, but it proved a useful base in Exeter when revising our route, and helped us stay out of the wind at a blustery Land's End upon our arrival. It's typical of a 'van that an SUV owner may choose to tow.
Epilogue
The EV9 may have had next to no charge left by the time we reached Land's End, but the Ioniq 9 still had 59 per cent left to go. So as the light faded, Ellis made a run for the Devonshire border and enjoyed the freedom of being able to drive at 70mph for the first time all day.
He managed to make it all the way to Taunton services before needing to stop for a top-up. Based on the Ioniq 9's average efficiency of 2.9 mi/kWh, he'd have covered more than 300 miles from a single charge in the Hyundai - enough to get from London to Paris. Maybe we'll try that next year - but staying in hotels instead.
It was a different story for Dean. It turns out the trip computer goes into a different mode when a trailer is attached, or when Trailer Mode is selected. Its range estimate isn't based on trailer weights, so it's a rough figure - and one that shaped the pit-stop strategy on the way back.
So after unhitching (again) at Camborne to use rapid 300kW chargers, Exeter services beckoned once more to top up with enough juice to get back to Bristol. However, an empty car park and vacant chargepoints meant it was less of a hassle than it was earlier in the day. Is night caravanning the way forward, perhaps?
Our dealer network has 1,000s of great value new cars in stock and available now right across the UK. Find your new car...[3]
References
- ^ Latest Kia EV9 deals (marketplace.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ Latest Hyundai Ioniq 9 deals (marketplace.autoexpress.co.uk)
- ^ Find your new car... (marketplace.autoexpress.co.uk)