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Model X Towing in Colorado

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The OPs trial trip might strike folks outside of the Rocky Mountain region as an extreme example, but for those of us living and playing on the Front Range, this is par for the course. It's always cool at altitude in the mountains. 6-7% grades running 10 miles or longer are not uncommon. Snow in June on the passes is a thing.

This ain't the flatlands.

We tow a considerably lighter, smaller trailer - a Lance 1475, at about 3200#, 7' wide and 9' tall - with our Audi Q5 TDI. Being a turbo diesel, it does fine. The Q is tow rated 20% above what we're asking it to do. We get about 20 mpg at 65 mph while towing through the mountains. This gives us a nearly 400 mile range between fill-ups. There is real value in saving travel time, and arriving while it's still light out to set up camp.

I think we're still a battery generation or two away from towing a tall trailer at highway speeds being practical with a BEV. You'd need about 300 kwh to make it work well, give or take, depending on what you're towing.

Can it be done now? Sure, if you plan your route really carefully. But you are stopping a lot. And there are a lot of beautiful places that remain out of reach for now.

No need for a heavy pickup to tow a modest trailer. But a diesel is still my power train of choice in the mountains.