Towing thoughts/questions

[mark180]

With Tesla every two chargers share a circuit so 250kW would be 125 kWh (500 miles an hour of charging) if two cars with equal power draw where to start charging.

EA's do not share circuit so each charger is good for rated charging, typically 3 x 150kW and 1 x 350kW in four charger stations.

On towing, I plan to tow a 5k boat 100 miles each way. The 300 mile range, I expect to get 100 miles driving 55 mph. I have chargers roughly midway if that proves optimistic. I think 60% tow duration is reasonable.

On tow days, charging to 100% and running down to below 10% would be acceptable.

I am not so sure about this. We stopped at a super charger in Williams, CA @ 30% and I was monitoring it on my phone. The fastest charge it achieved was 80kw and fluctuated down to 50kwh. However at other times when no other cars were charging, it was much higher and in fact reached the 250kw threshold. It gave me the assumption that more than 2 cars shared the same circuit. Perhaps this varies at each charging station?

I think your plan is a viable one charging midway as long as you also have charging at your destination. I hope you get 60% but from what I have experienced, it will be less.

I found this which would explain a lot.

Most already know, two stalls at Superchargers share one charger. For example 2A and 2B are connected to charger #2 and share it's power.

The way they switch is actually interesting. Superchargers are made from (I believe) 12 smaller chargers that each max out at 12 kW. 3 are always grouped together as they use the three phases from the commercial grid power. When both stalls (that share a charger) are used, the power output can only be switched in groups of 3. So when you arrive and the other car is using all the power, you will get the minimum which is 36 kW. Once the other car tapers down enough you will get another group of three which adds up to 72 kW. The next step is 108 kW.

Sponsored

 

[EaglesPDX]

We stopped at a super charger in Williams, CA @ 30% and I was monitoring it on my phone. The fastest charge it achieved was 80kw and fluctuated down to 50kwh.

SC rates are all over the map for variety for reasons, temp, car battery condition, charging curves etc.

On the circuit though, every two Tesla chargers share a circuit so max potential of a 250kW circuit with two cars on it is 125kW. EA's do not share a circuit.

 

[ShirBlackspots]

The v1 Superchargers were 150kW, and each vehicle could only charge at 75kW (regardless if the other shared stall is not being used).
The v2 Superchargers share 150kW, but you can charge at the full 150kW if the other shared stall isn't being used.
The v3 Superchargers are 250kW (soon to be 300kW) and there is no sharing because four stalls are on a 1MW transformer..

 

[PungoteagueDave]

For someone who doesn't tow very often...what would you be towing that's 10,000 pounds? I've towed my tractor with my Flex and the 4,500lb tow capacity covers that. Would it be like a massive camper?

My boat and trailer are 9,750 at a CAT scale, half fueled (100 gallon of the total 200 tankage). I intend to tow with the Lightning and a new slightly lighter trailer that has weight distribution capability.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

SC rates are all over the map for variety for reasons, temp, car battery condition, charging curves etc.

On the circuit though, every two Tesla chargers share a circuit so max potential of a 250kW circuit with two cars on it is 125kW. EA's do not share a circuit.

Incorrect. Only older Tesla SC share circuits. The Gen 3's do not.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

I was very interested in this truck and the range is going to kill the deal for me when towing. We have a 2-horse trailer that weighs ~3500 lbs empty. My wife has a Model Y Tesla with very close to the same ranges they are talking about with the F150. When towing the trailer, the range drops to less than 100 miles, and that would be if you took it to zero charge left, which nobody would want to do.

Pulling even a smaller trailer, let alone a 10,000 lb one will decrease the mileage enormously. So unless you want to spend a lot of time charging, and can figure out all your charging stations on your destination route, I would strongly recommend not purchasing this for any type of towing unless it is very close range. Pulling a camper to the mountains and back is not doable especially since there won't be any charging stations.

If you're not planning on towing anything, I think this would be a great truck to have.

Just as an FYI, the power at the charging stations is very dependent on how many other cars are charging. For example, a 250kw charging station, they advertise how fast it will charge your car; however, that 250kw is split between all the other charging cars so unless you're the only one there, don't expect to charge as fast as advertised.

Spilt charging is only true at older Tesla stations. The stations built in the past three years do not split charging power.

 

[greenne]

I don't think we're going to see any viable EV's in regards to towing until we start seeing 300kwh battery packs.

That depends....if you're using it to tow a boat to the lake 20mi away the Lightning would be great. If you have a hunting property 100mi away(with even a 110 hookup) and you always stay week at a time..the Lightning could very well tow your small hunting camper.

FWIW..I came away impressed from the Ford demo wrt towing. The Lightning towed a 5500lb box trailer like it wasn't even there. Outside of range concerns..I'm betting the Lightning would be great for towing.

 

[Tomf]

I could see a lot of fleet use for towing. I’d like to get one at work to have in the yard and be able to deliver stuff out to the jobs in town. Most round trips would be much less than 100 miles. And you don’t have to mess with fuel cards and whatnot.

 

[astricklin]

I have a medium size camper trailer (20 foot 4500lbs) and plan to tow it at least short distances with the lightning. By my calculations you should safely get at least 70miles with the SR and 100 miles with the ER. This is assuming you are getting half the range and then only charging to 80% at fast chargers.
There's a large number of campsites within 50 miles of me (north Texas) but with the current charging infrastructure one could still easily make to most of central or east TX, into Oklahoma and even Arkansas. There would be issues going to the gulf coast or anything west but the charging network will improve. The biggest thing that causes me to reconsider is that you end up having to charge for a time almost equal to your driving time if you are going several hundred miles in a day.
Maybe I'll just do tent camping on any further trips or hope that the range drop is much less than 50%.

 

[EaglesPDX]

My boat and trailer are 9,750 at a CAT scale, half fueled (100 gallon of the total 200 tankage). I intend to tow with the Lightning and a new slightly lighter trailer that has weight distribution capability.

Isn't the limitation the cargo capacity of the F150EV not the two rating?

 

[EaglesPDX]

Only older Tesla SC share circuits.

Incorrect the older urban 75kW are dedicated 75kW circuits.

But the 75kW and the 250kW are about 10% of the installed Tesla Superchargers. Most Tesla drivers use every other charger due to 90% of them sharing a circuit. These are labeled so you can tell which two share a circuit.

 

[Easycamper]

Isn't the limitation the cargo capacity of the F150EV not the two rating?

I don’t see a problem with payload with a ~9500-lb trailer with weight distribution.

 

[EaglesPDX]

I don’t see a problem with payload with a ~9500-lb trailer with weight distribution.

I thought the payload of the AWD LR was 1800#'s. 500 of that would be my boat trailer (5,000). That leaves 1,300. The lightest camper I could find was 1,000 so that would leave 300# for everything else including me.

 

[tkeru408]

I thought the payload of the AWD LR was 1800#'s. 500 of that would be my boat trailer (5,000). That leaves 1,300. The lightest camper I could find was 1,000 so that would leave 300# for everything else including me.

If you're putting a thousand pound camper on your truck bed, I think all bets are off. But that's going to be true in an ICE F150 as well, possibly more so. My '18 ICE F150 Platinum has a 1512 lb payload, and the '21 ICE F150 Platinum I looked at only had a ~1300 lb payload. It remains to be seen what the Lightning payloads really are, by the time the trucks are optioned up it won't be 1800 lb.

 

[EaglesPDX]

It remains to be seen what the Lightning payloads really are, by the time the trucks are optioned up it won't be 1800 lb.

Average weight of US male is 197 lbs so four guys and fishing run with gear is close to 1,000# plus the tongue weight of the trailer 500#, puts me right at F150EV's 1,800 max load.

I'd have to offload the camper before loading up the crew.

On my 100 mile route from home to coast, I have chargers available at the 50 mile point and 20 mile point thanks to local Public Utility district offices so either way, loaded with crew or camper, I should be able to make the trip.

Ultimate goal is F150EV, solar power camper and old Boston Whaler with fuel tank replaced by battery and 150 HP electric outboard (range about 100 nm) and chase Salmon around PNW US and Canada. Can fast charge boat, camper and F150 and then solar panels on camper for locations with no charging.

Sponsored