Petition to add tow hitch to Model 3

[Haddock]

Toyota corolla's and camrys don't have tow hitches either. I own a BMW 528i and it doesn't have a tow hitch.

It's lol-tastic that every car you mention is available with a hitch here.

BMW 528i (removable hitch, so not in the photos, but on the used car sold here): Brugt BMW 528i 3,0 aut. til salg - Bilbasen
Toyota Corolla (also removable, but you can see the connector): Brugt Toyota Corolla 1,4 D-4D Luna til salg - Bilbasen
Totyota Camry: Brugt Toyota Camry 2,2 Executive til salg - Bilbasen

These were all three the first hits when I searched for used cars of that type.

I wonder who has persuaded Americans that small cars can't tow small trailers. Was it the companies that make very good margins on Pickups? Ford’s Margins: It’s All About the Trucks

 

[WileyTheMan]

Wow...clearly the ability to tow things with any car you purchase is a cultural thing. I work with a bunch of Germans, who think sedans in general are a waste because their utilitarian uses are limited. Station wagons and hatchbacks are the way to go, apparently. In a way I understand that philosophy, especially when you are limited on parking or are capped at one vehicle in a given household. Americans, for the most part don't have that limitation, so the idea of having multiple vehicles for a dedicated hauler such as a truck is more acceptable.

Tow hitches in sedans are strange to Americans because of this, I think. Personally I believe an option for the Model 3 will be made available in the future, whether it's a factory option or an after-market solution.

 

[kort677]

Since Elon previously tweeted that the Model 3 WOULD have a hitch option, at around the time of pencils down, it is clear that it is in the design, even if it never makes it to production.

Thank you kindly.

oh my! could elon have over promised and under delivered? AGAIN?

 

[Haddock]

I think actually sedans are on the decline everywhere. It's just that in Europe people move more to wagons, and in the US they move to crossovers.

As far as I can work out the difference mainly cultural. That is, there are some technical differences (crossover rides higher and is a little higher, so it's less aerodynamic, more roomy and more prone to roll over, plus has better ground clearance), but the main difference is how people feel about the cars and what ownership signals to others.

Above image from http://oppositelock.kinja.com/wagons-vs-crossovers-1780796473

 

[DR61]

Tow hitches in sedans are strange to Americans because of this, I think.

Being somewhat older than most here, I have noticed a change in the US regarding the towing issue. 30 years ago it was much more common to see normal sedans and wagons towing in the US. Then over time more and more pickups and utility vehicles were sold in the US (at higher profit), and a de-emphisis on towing with normal cars ensued. The truck companies encourage this because trucks make more profit. Even European and Japanese brands that sell trucks and utility vehicles began to decertify for towing their normal cars in the US, even when identical models sold elsewhere were certified.

 

[Haddock]

Of course, some vehicles were built to tow. It's hard to beat a vehicle designed from the ground up for a particular purpose.

 

[Gtosnipey]

All well and good....but on the same token, does Ford put towing hitches on the Focus?


If Tesla makes a vehicle that SHOULD have a hitch to it, I'm sure they'll add it, but say it with me here.....

NOT. EVERY. VEHICLE. REQUIRES. A. HITCH.


Why aren't any of you complaining to Bugatti for leaving a hitch off of the Veyron?

Agreed. I don't know why some think all cars need every piece of technology ever made. For the majority of drivers I can tell you tow hitches don't make their top 10 requirements of a car list.

I have zero personal want or desire for one, or want to see one poking out of the back of my Model 3. If I needed to haul or tow things, I would look towards a vehicle that did that and make that purchase. As someone mentioned if you need a Telsa that can tow get the X. Sure it is a lot more expensive but that is Tesla's price for a Telsa with a hitch.

From all of your posts it does look like the tow hitch is more of an overseas item, so I will give you that. I understand there are things the international community look for in cars that aren't as big of a feature here in the states. I just got back from Italy a month ago and saw so many tiny cars and in 2 weeks not a single pick up! Being from central Wisconsin (beer, cow, and cheese land) you can't go 10 feet without running into a pick up or huge truck, so I get it. Different markets.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

PS, here in Sweden you can get hitch for your Ford Focus directly from Ford.

From the factory, or as a "dealer-installed option"?


At this point, Tesla probably doesn't have the bandwidth to spend the time on this. If it was in the initial design and didn't make the cut, maybe they can ship hitches to be installed at Service Centers for those who want them and to have them covered by warranty.


But if the rest of us have to wait for a very small minority to have an option added that doesn't add to the PRIMARY functionality of the vehicle, it will unnecessarily upset quite a few of us.

 

[DR61]

From the factory, or as a "dealer-installed option"?

In the UK the tow option for Ford Focus is available from the factory:
Retractable Trailer Coupling (with 13 pin electrics)£600
Build And Price - PV

Regarding your other points, I totally agree. I for one don't want this option to delay deliveries in the least. However a tow hitch kit is hardly rocket science, and I hope they get to it after production is worked out. A service center or aftermarket install is fine with me.

 

[Twiglett]

My guess is they'll add it at some point prior to European deliveries.

^^^Exactly this^^^
They're only making a single version of the car right now - and for the US market only.
The European deliveries are at least a year away, what are we petitioning for when only US cars are being made.
The 0.00001% of US drivers who stick a hitch on the back of a small/medium sedan don't need a petition

 

[vigge50]

Just found a costumer survey from 2013 here in Sweden, 26,6% was ready to pay a premium price to get a hitch on there car wish made it the most popular feature that we where ready to pay for.

 

[Porfiry]

NOT. EVERY. VEHICLE. REQUIRES. A. HITCH.

For you, perhaps. For me, a hitch is an absolute requirement (not for towing but for a bicycle rack). That's why I currently drive an SUV, but put a hitch on an affordable long range electric car and that combination becomes really interesting to me.

The Model Y is probably what I ultimately want, but I guarantee you I'm not waiting that long.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

For you, perhaps. For me, a hitch is an absolute requirement (not for towing but for a bicycle rack). That's why I currently drive an SUV, but put a hitch on an affordable long range electric car and that combination becomes really interesting to me.

The Model Y is probably what I ultimately want, but I guarantee you I'm not waiting that long.

pretty sure Elon's mission to being EVs to the masses doesn't hinge on that hitch.

if you can tell me even 1% of cancellations were due to lack of towing, I'd listen. but.....highly unlikely.

 

[EV-lutioin]

I feel that we need to start a push to express our desire for a tow hitch on Model 3 so that it makes it to production soon.

Having a tow hitch largely removes the need for an ICE pickup truck since you can accomplish 90% of the tasks with a $1000 utility trailer.

It is such a glaring oversight.

Trying to think of a small sedan that comes with a tow hitch....

 

[ecarfan]

On flat land I can see that. But after seeing Edmund's real world Model X camping trip towing test (in the exact locales I travel), I quickly decided to NOT wait for Tesla's pickup to replace my current ICE pickup. Low trip speed averages, range anxiety, and impractical supercharging would take all the fun out of it for me.

Is the Edmund's X towing "test" you refer to this article? Range and Charging While Towing a Trailer - 2016 Tesla Model X Long-Term Road Test

The author of that article took a remarkably long time to realize that one should not routinely charge to 100% because it is rarely necessary if you plan properly. And he was towing a trailer with very high rolling resistance tires which certainly didn't help his energy consumption figures. Plus his X had 22" tires: another mistake since that significantly decreases the range of the X.

Also, he had an inordinate fear of unhitching his trailer. @ohmman does it in less than 5 minutes. That writer seemed to consider unhitching/hitching something akin to torture. Which is not the case for a properly set up trailer.

 

[ecarfan]

I haven't once considered complaining to Audi about the lack of a hitch in my A3, because....I fully understand....IT'S NOT....THAT...MARKET....SEGMENT.......

But... the same A3 is certified for light duty towing in Europe?

Touche.

I think all Teslas should be designed to accomodate a trailer hitch. As has been demonstrated in this thread, in many markets some people regularly tow with sedans.

 

[Garlan Garner]

But then there was this.

I cannot tell if that means tow hitch isn't standard, or tow hitch isn't available. Damn Twitter.

I think Elon has a drawer full of quotes that don't mean anything at all.

After all he is a CEO. lol.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

I think Elon has a drawer full of quotes that don't mean anything at all.

After all he is a CEO. lol.

they may not mean anything, but you've nitpicked them all as if they do.....

 

[Garlan Garner]

they may not mean anything, but you've nitpicked them all as if they do.....

what?

Snippy forum <------thanks for the likes.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

what?

Everything he says is nit-picked for semantics, context, secret clues, you name it......

so how does what he says mean "nothing", when more than half the people on here think everything he says means EVERYTHING.


hell, I bet if you played back the shareholders' call from Q4 2016 backwards at 1/10th speed, you'd hear him telling you 9/11 was an inside job and there is a secret underground lair with 150.000 completed Model 3's that he plans to give out on Christmas Eve Oprah-style.


let's be consistent. just seems incredibly odd to see someone, yes, you @Garlan Garner , who picks apart his every word, come out and tell us that sometimes he says stuff that doesn't actually have some incredibly deep meaning.