Towing a caravan with an electric tow car (EV)

Can you tow with an electric vehicle? In many respects, EVs, being heavy and torquey, are perfect for pulling caravans. John Sootheran gets his research head on!

In 2025, 23% of new cars sold in the UK were EVs. Futuristic designs, silent and powerful motors, and battery capacity improving by the month, it seems that ‘our friends electric’ are here to stay, and getting better and better with each new launch.

Much of my publishing career has been spent worshipping at the shrine of the internal combustion engine (ICE) – the smooth, whisper of a straight-six and the guttural growl of a V8 – but, having driven a few EVs in recent times, I have to say, ‘they are bloody good’. Smooth, powerful and cheap to run (if you can charge at home), they have hundreds of times fewer moving parts than an ICE car, so there’s less to go wrong. But can you seriously consider an electric car to tow a caravan or trailer tent? A tsunami of anti-EV memes on social media, would have you believe not, but let’s look at the facts.

Can an electric vehicle really tow a caravan?

Yes, they can, and they perform very well.
In the 2024 and 2025 Towcar of the Year Awards testing, electric vehicles performed admirably. In 2025, EVs came top in five categories, hybrids, also took five awards, while ICE cars took four.

EV Towcar Award winners
The BMW i5 eDrive40 Touring claimed the 1500-1600kg caravan category, plus the Electric Towcar and Luxury Towcar class wins. Judges praised its performance ‘across the board’.

Volkswagen’s ID.7 Match Pro won the <1200kg caravan class, and was described as ‘super stable’ and ‘very nimble’.

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 Ultimate won the 1600kg-1700kg category, and was described as ‘‘Lovely – smooth, comfortable and great to drive.’

Do EVs have type approval for towing?

We spoke to Tom Miller, CEO at towbar gurus, Tow-Trust.co.uk:
“My advice is the same for EVs, as it is for ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles: always check the vehicle’s VIN plate before installing a towbar or using the vehicle for towing. This makes sure, firstly, that the vehicle is type-approved for towing, and secondly, that its towing capacity is suitable for your intended use.”

As some EVs have zero towing limit, you should always follow Tom’s advice.

VIN Plates

Your towcar’s VIN plate is usually found under the bonnet or on a front door jamb. It will be either a riveted alloy plate or a sticker. Typically, it features three or four lines showing weights in kgs – these are:

2190kg – Gross vehicle weight, the Maximum Allowable Mass (MAM) of the vehicle including occupants, fuel and payload.
4050kg – Gross train weight, the Combined Maximum Allowable Mass of the vehicle and trailer.
1045kg & 1175kg – Maximum front and rear axle loads.

The manufacturer’s recommended maximum towing capacity for your vehicle is the gross vehicle weight subtracted from gross train weight.
In this case, 4050kg – 2190kg = 1860kg.

So this vehicle has a maximum braked trailer weight of 1860kg. This assumes the manufacturer hasn’t set a lower limit in the handbook (many do). Noseweight limits are separate and not shown on the VIN plate.
If the gross train weight figure is missing, the car is NOT type approved for towing.

How big a caravan can I tow with my EV?

Probably not as big as you think. Although EVs are very heavy, it’s not a good idea to simply apply the 85% rule, and head out with a two-tonne tourer. Check your manual or the manufacturer’s website to see what towing weight limit is recommended, and stay within that allowance.

Can all EVs have tow bars fitted?

Tom again: “We design, test and manufacture a wide range of towbars for electric vehicles that are approved to tow. In practice, we see EVs as no different from ICE vehicles – they offer strong towing capacities and sufficient battery performance for towing applications.”

If your EV is type-approved for towing, there’s a decent chance Tow-Trust will do a towbar for it.

What about weight matching with EVs?

This is where we’d take extra care, as the standard 85% towing rule may not apply.

EVs are typically heavier than the equivalent ICE car, but that doesn’t mean they can tow a heavier caravan. Check your manual for specific towing-limit information.

Likewise, remember to factor in your EV’s noseweight limits to guarantee a stable towing experience.

Does towing affect EV driving range?

Towing a caravan will lower your EV’s range potential – experts say by 40-60%. That means longer tours may need a charging stop, or even two.

Planning ahead is recommended, so that you can coordinate your charging stops with driving breaks, coffee stops, lunch and doggie comfort breaks.

Remember – to charge, you may need to unhitch to fit into the bay. If you leave your caravan unattended or out of sight in service stations, always fit and activate security devices you have listed on your caravan insurance policy. Theft of caravans from service stations is not unheard of.

We’d estimate that a good-quality towing fully charged EV, with a 300-mile standard range, should cover 150-200 miles without further charge when towing which is probably enough for most caravan trips.

Can I charge using a campsite pitch hookup? 

The short answer is usually no – or at least, not properly, and not without permission. Most UK campsite electric hook-ups (EHU) are not designed for charging electric cars, they do not have the load capacity. If several campers try to charge EVs at the same time, the site’s electrical infrastructure would overload.

Hook-ups are powered assuming caravan-level loads, not the sustained high-draw needed by an EV, which can overheat cables and sockets. Also, the excessive use of electricity isn’t factored into campsite EHU charging.

If you get ‘caught short ‘(of power), always ask the campsite’s advice and permission before trying to charge. Many caravan sites now offer specific EV charging points.

Is it easy to charge an EV while towing?

It’s not as quick as popping £50 of diesel in your Passat, but it’s fairly straightforward.

Using charging stations enroute can cost up to 10 times more than charging at home, so aim to leave home with a full battery. Towing at 55-60mph will use much less charge than speeding at 65mph or higher.

Plan your stops beforehand using an app like the excellent Zapmap, which helps you find and pay for your electricity. Zapmap can also tell you if all the chargers at your planned stop are working.

Many public charging bays will require you to unhitch your tourer before you can charge.

How long does it take to charge?

Charge time will depend on your vehicle, its age, and the charge-point output. Superfast charging can take you from 20% to 80% charge in as little as 25 minutes with the most modern EVs. However, we’d allow about 50 minutes to add 100 miles of charge at a typical 100kW charge point.

Do I need to tell my EV car insurer I’m towing a caravan?

It’s not a legal issue, but we’d advise you to let your EV car insurer know that you plan to tow a caravan.

What about towing in Europe with an EV?

You’re good to go, as UK and European EV-charging sockets are largely compatible. Both regions predominantly use the Type 2 connector (Mennekes) for AC charging, and CCS2 (Combined Charging System) for rapid DC charging.

You can drive a UK-registered EV into Europe and charge without needing special adapters. Hurrah!

Summary

Choose the right EV and you can tow quite happily – perhaps just with a plan to charge up when you stop for coffee or lunch en route. Use the web and Google Street View to assess the charging station. EV’s are fast and stable tow cars, and if you can charge at home, you could save a few bob, too. Just make sure to plan your journeys properly and that you can charge at or near your destination.

The technology’s coming on in leaps and bounds too, so things will only get better. Watts not to like?!

The NCC (National Caravan Council) has also published a consumer guide that highlights why electric vehicles (EVs) make good tow cars. Its Electric Vehicle Towing guide can be downloaded here.