Best electric cars for towing, and what a trailer does to range

Speed decides this more than weight. ADAC towed a large caravan behind a Kia EV6 in 2022 and measured the extra energy at three speeds: 54% at 80 km/h, 79% at 90 km/h, and 103% at 100 km/h. Double the energy means half the range.

Weight mattered far less. Going from driver only to a 280 kg load changed consumption by just 6% in the same ADAC report. An empty small trailer at 100 km/h took 1% more energy than the car alone at 120 km/h, because the speed dropped. So a flat-pack run to the DIY shop costs you almost nothing, and a tall box on the motorway costs you half.

A real trip

ADAC's longer test ran the EV6 with a 1,600 kg Dethleffs Aero 470 FSK over about 1,300 km through the Alps to the sea and back, as reported by PiNCAMP in 2024. The on-board computer showed 36.6 kWh/100 km against 20 kWh/100 km solo, up about 83%, and a dashboard reading leaves out charging losses. That gave just under 200 km between charges, at average speeds of 62 to 76 km/h behind lorries.

It took 522 kWh and cost €233, or €18.18 per 100 km by PiNCAMP's arithmetic. Twice, a charging site was out of action. At one of them the testers unhitched and drove on alone to find power. That's the part no spec sheet shows. PiNCAMP notes that more charging parks now have bays for a car and caravan, in parts of Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

To estimate your own car, divide its solo range by 1.83. That's my rough sum, not a test. ADAC's measured 500 km for an Ioniq 5 turns into about 273 km with a caravan like that one. Its 371 km for a front-drive EV5 becomes about 203 km.

I haven't towed with any of these. Test results here are ADAC's.

The four cars

Prices are German list prices, checked 2 November 2026, with grants and dealer deals excluded. Other countries differ. All limits are braked, at a 12% gradient where the source says so.

The Explorer's row needs a warning. OpenVan, relaying Autoblog.nl on 22 May 2026, reports Ford raising the 79 kWh car to 2,000 kg, and EV Database's model-year 2027 entry agrees, while its earlier entry says 1,000 kg. ADAC's sheet for the 79 kWh Collection from March 2026 predates that report and still shows 1,000 kg, and Ford's July 2026 price list gives no weight. Believe the dealer's written figure for your exact order, and nothing else. That includes this table.

Nose weight matters for a bike rack or a caravan. ADAC's sheets give the Enyaq 88 kg and the EV5 100 kg, and Hyundai's list gives the Ioniq 5 100 kg. The Explorer is 75 kg on ADAC's March 2026 sheet.

Towbars cost extra on three of these. The Enyaq Selection's is €840 on Skoda's October 2026 list, the EV5's is €980 on Kia's, and the Explorer Select's is €1,000 on Ford's. Hyundai's list doesn't show one for the Ioniq 5, so ask.

How I'd choose

For a caravan near 1,800 kg or more, I'd buy the Enyaq. Rated at 581 km solo, it starts from a decent place, and its 585 l boot is the largest of these four on listed figures.

Under 1,600 kg, I'd lean to the Ioniq 5. With a stop every 200 km or so, charging speed is what you feel, and ADAC measured it above 200 kW on average.

Take the EV5 AWD if traction matters, for a boat ramp or a wet field. Note that front drive drops the limit to 1,200 kg on Kia's list, so the cheaper car won't do the same job. ADAC listed "only 1,200 kg" among its dislikes.

Check your trailer's real gross weight, not the empty one, and ask your licensing office whether your licence covers it, because that varies by country. If you need a car for people first and a trailer twice a year, the family car roundup is the better place to start.