Tesla Motors Club
There are a number of threads asking various questions that apply to towing with the Cybertruck, but I thought it might be useful to have a single thread where we can discuss specifics of towing.
What do we know?
First, there's no published hitch/tongue weight capacity. Going by standards, hitch weight is typically 10% of the rated towing capacity. That implies that we'd be seeing at least a 750 pound capacity at the single motor level. Whether or not they'd be scaling that up for the dual- and tri-motor versions remains to be seen. Since hitch weight carrying capacity is related to structure and suspension, it seems likely that the entire line would have the same capacity rating. With diesel trucks, the larger engine models have beefier suspension and therefore the higher towing capacity naturally comes with higher tongue weight capacity.
Next, and related, I'm curious about weight distribution capability. The general rule is that vehicles with an exoskeleton aren't to be used with weight distribution because it flexes the body and can cause damage. That said, the Model X is a unibody vehicle and I use weight distribution with it. The feedback I've received from Tesla is that the skateboard provides a lot of rigidity that doesn't exist with standard vehicles. I think it's extremely important for Tesla to provide guidance on this. Typically, when weight distribution is allowed, the vehicle hitch rating goes up. For instance, the F-150 has a 5000 lb towing capacity with a 500 lb hitch weight (10%). But when used with weight distribution, the tow rating goes up to 13,200 and 1320 lbs, respectively.
And the question most people will be asking - how far can I tow with the Cybertruck? Really, this is probably best phrased as "what is the efficiency penalty, in percent, for towing a certain type of trailer?" We know that with relatively efficient, relatively lightweight campers, the Model X has a penalty in the 35-50% range when traveling at 55 mph. Because a higher towing capacity is very likely to result in larger, less efficient campers, I believe that the Cybertruck will see penalties above 50%. That is, range seems likely to be cut by more than half in most cases.
Any other thoughts or criticisms of what I've laid out here?
What do we know?
- Single motor RWD: 7,500+ lbs., 250+ miles
- Dual motor AWD: 10,000+ lbs., 300+ miles
- Tri motor AWD: 14,000+ lbs., 500+ miles
First, there's no published hitch/tongue weight capacity. Going by standards, hitch weight is typically 10% of the rated towing capacity. That implies that we'd be seeing at least a 750 pound capacity at the single motor level. Whether or not they'd be scaling that up for the dual- and tri-motor versions remains to be seen. Since hitch weight carrying capacity is related to structure and suspension, it seems likely that the entire line would have the same capacity rating. With diesel trucks, the larger engine models have beefier suspension and therefore the higher towing capacity naturally comes with higher tongue weight capacity.
Next, and related, I'm curious about weight distribution capability. The general rule is that vehicles with an exoskeleton aren't to be used with weight distribution because it flexes the body and can cause damage. That said, the Model X is a unibody vehicle and I use weight distribution with it. The feedback I've received from Tesla is that the skateboard provides a lot of rigidity that doesn't exist with standard vehicles. I think it's extremely important for Tesla to provide guidance on this. Typically, when weight distribution is allowed, the vehicle hitch rating goes up. For instance, the F-150 has a 5000 lb towing capacity with a 500 lb hitch weight (10%). But when used with weight distribution, the tow rating goes up to 13,200 and 1320 lbs, respectively.
And the question most people will be asking - how far can I tow with the Cybertruck? Really, this is probably best phrased as "what is the efficiency penalty, in percent, for towing a certain type of trailer?" We know that with relatively efficient, relatively lightweight campers, the Model X has a penalty in the 35-50% range when traveling at 55 mph. Because a higher towing capacity is very likely to result in larger, less efficient campers, I believe that the Cybertruck will see penalties above 50%. That is, range seems likely to be cut by more than half in most cases.
Any other thoughts or criticisms of what I've laid out here?