Towing with Model X

How was your efficiency and how much does that rig weigh?

 

Thanks for your post and glad your X is working out for you towing your loaded livestock trailer. There are many towing-related threads in this forum (Driving Dynamics) and the main Model X forum. I wish there was a specific subforum for Model X towing.

If you want to measure your energy usage while towing, set one of the trip odometers to zero at the start of a towing trip and then at the end of the trip check the Wh/mi number for that odometer.

Based on the shape of your trailer (squarish) and its height I am not surprised that you used double the energy to tow it compared to not towing. You will find that the increase in energy used is highly speed dependent at speeds above about 40mph. What is your typical speed when towing?

 

Look at your Trip Computers.

You can make the Panel on the Left in the Instrument Cluster Default to Trip Computers. Navigation will always Overlay that by default. You can flip to Trip Computer underway or wait till Nav is finished to see the stats. You always look on the Main Screen under Trip computers as well.

You can customize what shows in the Trip Computer on the Main Screen under Trip Computers.

A lot of Folks Reserve their "Trip B" computer for their lifetime Average. You can rename it to "Lifetime" and you want to be careful to never clear it.

You have Trip Computers Automatically from Start of Trip and Last Charge besides Trip A and Trip B (4 in all).

Folks report their usage in Watt Hours / Mile. A typical range for Model X LR in good weather might be around 300 wh/mi (that is roughly EPA rating). Folks tend to see usage double when towing something like that and it might go to 600 wh/mi. Which implies your battery will only take you half as far.

I like to have the Energy Chart showing in the Right Panel in the Instrument Cluster. That will show the last 5, 15, or 30 mile average. You can control that by looking at the Energy App on the Main Screen. What every range you leave the Energy App in will Default to the Mini Energy Graph in the Instrument Cluster. I like it on "last 5 miles" so I know my "current" usage.

The Energy App is one of the "Apps" that get to by Clicking the Button with the up arrow or carrot that will display another row of Apps, one being the Energy. The Energy App is a good one to learn how to use.

 

I have found that my efficiency varies greatly based on load placement within the trailer. I have a max weight rating trailer of 3000 pounds. It’s a 10‘ x 5‘ with a V nose. I lose about 30% depending on how much weight I have loaded in the trailer and my driving style. If I do mostly country roads it’s closer to 20% loss compared to normal driving. When I do mostly freeways… It turns into more like 40% loss.
Just don’t be this guy!

 

Increased energy usage when towing is much greater at freeway speeds (due to aerodynamic drag) than it is when towing at much lower speeds. Energy used increases as the cube of the speed. How much weight you place in your trailer has less of an effect.

 

Towed sleds around, that's about it.. Energy use as expected went through the roof climbing up and down mountains with those hooked up. Just local trips, I think the farthest I drove with them was 50 miles round trip. Got some funny looks puling into the gas station when we needed to fuel up the sleds though.