Towing: Tesla delivered by Tesla?

[anticitizen13.7]

I sometimes see Tesla ICE trucks out for delivery towing flatbed trailers with a brand new Model S on board.

Then I saw this article: http://gas2.org/2015/06/22/tesla-model-x-towing-capacity-close-to-10000-pounds/

If this is true, and Model X can tow 10k lbs., I think it might be possible for Tesla to replace its ICE delivery vehicles with Model X. This might take awhile as I'm sure Tesla wants to get Model X to customers ASAP before building Model X for company use. I just thought it would be cool for a customer to have their Tesla delivered by another Tesla :biggrin:

 

[Hodginator]

That would be pretty cool. 10K towing capacity would probably do it.

 

[Trev Page]

I fully expect Tesla to replace it's fleet of ICE trucks with Model X eventually. Looks a bit disingenuous to have service vehicles with gasoline engines.

 

[adhawan]

Maybe that's partly why Elon wants to reveal them at delivery. Delivery of Model Xs on trailers using Model Xs, seems like an Elon thing to do! adds to the show and at ~7000lbs including trailer, sounds doable.

 

[aronth5]

Maybe that's partly why Elon wants to reveal them at delivery. Delivery of Model Xs on trailers using Model Xs, seems like an Elon thing to do! adds to the show and at ~7000lbs including trailer, sounds doable.

Yes, that would be cool and I agree something Elon would think is pretty neat, but you forgot one item, the sliding roof Thule roof rack!

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Maybe that's partly why Elon wants to reveal them at delivery. Delivery of Model Xs on trailers using Model Xs, seems like an Elon thing to do! adds to the show and at ~7000lbs including trailer, sounds doable.

This is a good idea. I would be awesome to have Model X drive out on stage... towing a trailer with another Model X on board:biggrin:

 

[neroden]

Yeah, the only question is range. I somehow suspect that the range of a Model X towing a Model X is going to be rather short... shorter than the distance between Superchargers at the moment.

I'm also totally in favor of Tesla using their own product to deliver their product -- get off of gasoline! But it's probably only going to be possible in areas near the service centers (within 60 miles) for a couple of years, at least until a *lot* more Superchargers get built.

 

[sandpiper]

Yeah, the only question is range. I somehow suspect that the range of a Model X towing a Model X is going to be rather short... shorter than the distance between Superchargers at the moment.

I'm also totally in favor of Tesla using their own product to deliver their product -- get off of gasoline! But it's probably only going to be possible in areas near the service centers (within 60 miles) for a couple of years, at least until a *lot* more Superchargers get built.

Yep. Range when hauling 10 klbs of trailer will be absolutely brutal. My guess is <150km in summer conditions & flat roads.

 

[Chris TX]

Yep. Range when hauling 10 klbs of trailer will be absolutely brutal. My guess is <150km in summer conditions & flat roads.

I could see the delivery MX having a larger battery. It becomes a commercial vehicle and a great, heavily utilized test bed. I don't think it's going to be long before someone welds the falcon doors closed and hacks the top off to create a pickup truck, either.

 

[Sosius]

I could see the delivery MX having a larger battery. It becomes a commercial vehicle and a great, heavily utilized test bed. I don't think it's going to be long before someone welds the falcon doors closed and hacks the top off to create a pickup truck, either.

Or, if we are thinking outside of the box about towing, what if Tesla made a trailer with an extra battery mounted on it for additional range. This would probably be very difficult given the wide array of trailer shapes, types and uses, but it would certainly be cool.

 

[felixtb]

Or, if we are thinking outside of the box about towing, what if Tesla made a trailer with an extra battery mounted on it for additional range. This would probably be very difficult given the wide array of trailer shapes, types and uses, but it would certainly be cool.

Yes I have been thinking about this as well and maybe that is why we have seen evidence of a possible second charge port... So that you could eventually charge both the connected trailer and the X. The space around the towing receiver always seemed kind of large to me considering you only need the electrical out and the hitch mechanism itself, suspecting the final hitch mechanism being of an electrical foldaway type. Now this space could easily fit some type of battery connector for an extended range trailer......

 

[vandacca]

Yes I have been thinking about this as well and maybe that is why we have seen evidence of a possible second charge port... So that you could eventually charge both the connected trailer and the X. The space around the towing receiver always seemed kind of large to me considering you only need the electrical out and the hitch mechanism itself, suspecting the final hitch mechanism being of an electrical foldaway type. Now this space could easily fit some type of battery connector for an extended range trailer......

Trailers with secondary battery packs are never going to happen.

Firstly, if you have a Model-X carrying trailer, the Model-X already has a battery pack that could be used to extend range, so why not use that?

Secondly, small consumer trailers with batteries are just not going to happen. You have to design it to withstand impacts from an accident (think heavy titanium/steel/carbon fiber/etc.) and you have to keep the batteries within their normal operating temperatures (think heating/cooling). All that is going to add significantly to the weight and reduce the extended range considerably. Then you have the aerodynamic penalties of towing a trailer. Not to mention, its going to be a really expensive trailer for the small amount of extra mileage you will get.

The best solution is to add to the existing battery pack and re-using all the existing protective shielding and HVAC electronics rather than trying to create a separate system.

 

[Chris TX]

You have to design it to withstand impacts from an accident (think heavy titanium/steel/carbon fiber/etc.) and you have to keep the batteries within their normal operating temperatures (think heating/cooling).

Name one regulatory body that states crash requirements for any consumer trailer manufacturer.

 

[tga]

Name one regulatory body that states crash requirements for any consumer trailer manufacturer.

Well, Vandacca never said anything about regulatory/certification. But the rest of the points are valid. You'd need coolant hookups, in addition to a HVDC connection. Any pack of sufficient capacity to make it worth while is going to cut drastically into GCWR.

 

[Chris TX]

Well, Vandacca never said anything about regulatory/certification. But the rest of the points are valid. You'd need coolant hookups, in addition to a HVDC connection. Any pack of sufficient capacity to make it worth while is going to cut drastically into GCWR.

Oh, I just figured since they said "You have to design it to withstand impacts from an accident" they were implying crash testing.

 

[vandacca]

Oh, I just figured since they said "You have to design it to withstand impacts from an accident" they were implying crash testing.

I know of no commercially available trailers that contain a significant battery pack, and hence I know of no regulation yet to address this non-existent area. However, the last thing Tesla (or any manufacturer) wants is negative publicity over a battery pack catching fire in an accident. I would be surprised if anyone comes out with a significant mobile battery pack that doesn't have serious shielding.

But thats just one point of many against trailers with battery packs...

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Well, Vandacca never said anything about regulatory/certification. But the rest of the points are valid. You'd need coolant hookups, in addition to a HVDC connection. Any pack of sufficient capacity to make it worth while is going to cut drastically into GCWR.

Couldn't the battery trailer have a self-contained coolant system? I know in Germany they are going to be testing battery trailers for other electric cars. Or are you all talking about a different type of trailer?

 

[vandacca]

Couldn't the battery trailer have a self-contained coolant system? I know in Germany they are going to be testing battery trailers for other electric cars. Or are you all talking about a different type of trailer?

If you are going to have a battery trailer, I think it has to have it's own cooling/heating. The Model-S doesn't have any provisions for sharing temperature regulation, and I'd be surprised if the Model-X will. There are a couple of German projects ongoing to test battery trailers, but none of them are commercially available. And I don't think they ever will be. Furthermore, these trailers look to be designed for small vehicles with small battery packs to begin with. Probably for a short-haul city BEV. Definitely, not for a Tesla S or X.

 

[tga]

Couldn't the battery trailer have a self-contained coolant system? I know in Germany they are going to be testing battery trailers for other electric cars. Or are you all talking about a different type of trailer?

Yep, good point. I didn't think of that until you mentioned it.

 

[Red Sage]

Elon Musk intimated the Model X would make a rather expensive delivery van. When Tesla Motors finally builds pickup trucks, they are bound to have Class III and Class IV towing/hauling capability. It will take a very long while to replace Class V flatbed trucks and Class VI car carriers with BEVs.

That said, it would be really cool to see a Model X towing a Q7 and still beating a Cayenne through the 1/4 mile...