If you have something to pull…

Both of the electric trucks on the market tow and haul more than the Tacoma and do it significantly better within range constraints. When my Rivian shows up it will be used multiple times a week to tow more than the Tacoma is rated for.

 

On paper, yes 10,000 cycles looks good but again that is on paper or proved in coin cell batteries. Lithium Ion batteries suffer stress when exposed to heat so until we get a real world, scaled up test machine running in hot summers and cold winters that 10,000 cycles number is fantasy. Who knows what the next battery innovation will be though - perhaps the temperature sensitivity will be overcome. That would be yuge.

 

I'll meet you in Denver with my 3500# XOC. You pull whatever you want and we'll see who gets to Yellowstone first. You pick the route.

 

We both know that’s not even a competition given the range and charging constraints of an EV towing.

 

If the servicable life of a taco is 400k miles and you go 200 miles per partial charge that's 2000 partial charges. That's well within the limits of lithium batteries. Everybody says they're going to keep their truck forever, but that must be the less than 1% minority or something. I tow moderate loads so the current crop of EVs won't do, but I'll see what's available when I get ready for a 5th gen Taco in the 2030's.

 

This is why they aren’t ready for real public use.
I’m waiting for the playing field to be the same.

 

Considering that 75% of truck owners never tow anything at all it’s a relatively minor concern.

 

I'm in that 25%, obviously this crap is outside the Tacoma's envelope, but it is also outside of an electric trucks envelope also. I would have to charge for at least an hour,?, to go shopping after these loads? I dunno.

 

There’s definite limitations to EV towing. Towing capability and capacity are great but range is not at all. Short range trips and I’d choose an EV over most ICE vehicles because it is just that much better. Long distance it’s not even a conversation worth having if there is any kind of timeline to keep to.

 

How do you like your TRX? Just holy crap, pictures?

 

It’s ridiculous in every way and awesome. I wish Toyota would do a Tacoma in similar style and with a good engine like this. Downside of the TRX is that it is a yuge truck to drive daily.

 

Air travel is useless too. Can’t carry anything and no range. What a joke.

 

Everyone that hates on EVs always finds the most extreme worst case and then hangs onto it like it's absolute truth for everyone. Fact is that a huge percentage of work trucks drive less than 100 miles a day, and that's fine for the EV case. And a lot of towing trips are far less than 100 miles or so... many are just towing your 30-foot boat to the dock and back for a day of fishing. Or towing a small, light trailer like a landscaping company would do. Sure, there are people that tow long haul day in and day out -- but going by just the percentages they're the outliers, and we can all accept the fact that EV trucks AREN'T the ideal solution for them right now. Let's see where we are in technology, battery range and charging infrastructure when the Gen 2 or 3 Lightning comes out.

 

It’s not as if cars and trucks that work don’t exist already.

 

If you want to level the playing filed you need to offer a challenge that's actually level. You're stacking the deck with an extreme case. It's like saying a BMW is better than a Schwinn because a Schwinn can't do 130 on the autobahn.

 

I'm not an EV hater but the EV trucks just don't work for towing any significant distance. Yet. That will improve rapidly is my guess.

My Tundra with 38 gal tank towing my trailer will go 250 miles with lots of cushion. You can throw a 5 gallon can in the bed and go another 40. These EV trucks pulling my trailer might go 100 if you push it.

 

Keep in mind if you want to charge when towing a travel trailer you'll also need to unhook your trailer somewhere, drive to the charger, then hook back up again to continue on your way. A major PITA. They don't put the chargers in locations that you could charge while hooked to the trailer.

 

The best scenario could be installing auxiliary batteries in the trailer itself to extend the range of the tow vehicle. You'd still be faced with the issue of how to charge the batteries in the trailer though.

 

And how long has it taken for automotive engines to reach 50% thrmal efficiency? Hint only a couple are close and they pull out all the tricks and your tacoma engine ain't close. I bet it's around 30% efficiency based on the same design that came out turn of 20th century

 

Saw a X5 yesterday towing a 20' enclosed trailer. The bumper tongue and front end of trailer were all about 2" of the ground. This was on the interstate.