Trailer towing Rivian test, range and regen resulting in Rockies

[rr6013]

See: actual results in found footage online

Even though this isn’t Cybertruck, it is a Quad motor pickup pulling a heavy trailer in steep mountains. I can verify this stretch is steep and overruns an ICE truck’s engine braking so its necessarily a braking test for Regen in the real world environment of Eisenhower Tunnel freeway.

 

[Albern]

If I remember correctly, they gained a small amount of energy back into the battery at the bottom of Ike (3%?). Does that seem low to you based on your experience in knowing the roads there?

I've commonly heard stories from others who would have massive gains going downhill in various Teslas.

 

[cybguy]

If I remember correctly, they gained a small amount of energy back into the battery at the bottom of Ike (3%?). Does that seem low to you based on your experience in knowing the roads there?

I've commonly heard stories from others who would have massive gains going downhill in various Teslas.

Comparing that to driving down Parleys Canyon (Park City to SLC) which is a 6% Grade that regeneration was horrible. You would expect a marked increase in battery capacity. While Rivian apparently sucks at regeneration, only fools will be using EV trucks to tow 5th wheels/other heavy loads in the next decade

 

[rr6013]

Comparing that to driving down Parleys Canyon (Park City to SLC) which is a 6% Grade that regeneration was horrible. You would expect a marked increase in battery capacity. While Rivian apparently sucks at regeneration, only fools while being using EV trucks to tow more 5th wheels/other heavy loads in the next decade

Right?
Regen was not in-use a looong time but the best time ~7% grade in that section. I’d have liked to see the electronic Regen driving back to Denver - that’s time enough to judge the mechanism fairly.

Summit Park turn around back down Lamb’s to Parley’s Canyon what would you expect Tesla Regen to make-up miles of battery spent driving up the canyon?

Rivian might have some Regen work to do.

 

[Challeco]

Comparing that to driving down Parleys Canyon (Park City to SLC) which is a 6% Grade that regeneration was horrible. You would expect a marked increase in battery capacity. While Rivian apparently sucks at regeneration, only fools will be using EV trucks to tow 5th wheels/other heavy loads in the next decade

Fools?
I'm curious how you consider using electric to tow/move material is a fools errand? I understand that heavier payloads, whether towed or as cargo, diminishes range on both ICE and EV. Also, I certainly understand that even Tesla will need to increase the charging network locations in between their current mountainous routes like where I live and travel.
However, payload is the reason the battery packs will have a longer range. My brother has chosen the life of a traveler, initially using a 38 foot trailer and a Tacoma. His fuel economy, with the best grade fuel was 12mpg and 8mpg through the mountains. even with a 20 gallon tank that is a range of 160 miles from full to fumes.
If you consider the Rail system, the use of electric to transport massive payloads across mountains and VAST distances has been around longer than I have been alive. To be clear, the diesel engines are only there to drive electric generators. The drive trains are all electric and have been for well over half a century. I mention this because EV is a better design for breaking inertia and maintaining speed with the most efficiency.

Honestly, I cannot wait to get my CT to replace my 71 F250. I live in a valley between two 6% grades. I have driven my F250 round trip from Union Oregon to Pendleton Oregon to transport over 2000 pounds of feed (overload) and used 3/4 tank in the process, my back hurt when I was finished with the drive, and I could barely hold a conversation with my friend over the almost 3 hours of driving. I would gladly, grateful actually, exchange an hour of charging for a quiet, comfortable ride with a capacity of 3500 pounds versus the rated 1500 pounds that I regularly overload.

 

[cybguy]

Fools?
I'm curious how you consider using electric to tow/move material is a fools errand? I understand that heavier payloads, whether towed or as cargo, diminishes range on both ICE and EV. Also, I certainly understand that even Tesla will need to increase the charging network locations in between their current mountainous routes like where I live and travel.
However, payload is the reason the battery packs will have a longer range. My brother has chosen the life of a traveler, initially using a 38 foot trailer and a Tacoma. His fuel economy, with the best grade fuel was 12mpg and 8mpg through the mountains. even with a 20 gallon tank that is a range of 160 miles from full to fumes.
If you consider the Rail system, the use of electric to transport massive payloads across mountains and VAST distances has been around longer than I have been alive. To be clear, the diesel engines are only there to drive electric generators. The drive trains are all electric and have been for well over half a century. I mention this because EV is a better design for breaking inertia and maintaining speed with the most efficiency.

Honestly, I cannot wait to get my CT to replace my 71 F250. I live in a valley between two 6% grades. I have driven my F250 round trip from Union Oregon to Pendleton Oregon to transport over 2000 pounds of feed (overload) and used 3/4 tank in the process, my back hurt when I was finished with the drive, and I could barely hold a conversation with my friend over the almost 3 hours of driving. I would gladly, grateful actually, exchange an hour of charging for a quiet, comfortable ride with a capacity of 3500 pounds versus the rated 1500 pounds that I regularly overload.

For the next decade your brother would be wise to consider a Diesel engine truck not a Tacoma or EV truck if he is driving any distance.
You aren't towing heavy loads like in the video or I what described as foolish. The trailer and truck in the video was a bit over 8000lb. Most 5th wheels are over 7000 lbs. An EV truck with those moderate weights you described should be fine for your short distance drives. That's why I did generalize to every scenario. I probable should have include towing heavy loads at a significant distance where charging is going to become extremely burdensome.

 

[jhogan2424]

I’m not seeing a video. ..?

 

[rudedawg78]

For the next decade your brother would be wise to consider a Diesel engine truck not a Tacoma or EV truck if he is driving any distance.
You aren't towing heavy loads like in the video or I what described as foolish. The trailer and truck in the video was a bit over 8000lb. Most 5th wheels are over 7000 lbs. An EV truck with those moderate weights you described should be fine for your short distance drives. That's why I did generalize to every scenario. I probable should have include towing heavy loads at a significant distance where charging is going to become extremely burdensome.

Hopefully Tesla figures out the towing range issue. and maximizes output to the CT. I plan to be one of those "fools" and use it to tow my fifth wheel and go camping around the country taking full advantage of the ever expanding tesla EV charging network.

 

[Deleted member 12457]

Surprised nobody commented on the results--
"Just so you know, the R1T has an EPA range of up to 314 miles (505 km); however, using Towing mode alone lowered the estimated range to 135 miles (217 km). That's less than half."

Did any of you actually click on the link and watch the video? Video worked for me.

The results don't surprise me and I'd like a comparison with a diesel truck pulling the same load. I know my 2013 V6 Tacoma pulling an older Ford pickup and an auto-transport would put me close to my 5000 lb towing rating, if not exceed it. When I pulled my ultralight trailer trailer (2600 lbs loaded), up I-5 from CA to WA, I know I got about half my rated highway mpg (11-12 mpg) but I also learned how to drop down a gear or two as well as go slower (max 3000 rpm, 3rd gear) and not blow up my engine like I see too many doing when they pull boats. My hope is that a properly geared EV truck will do better than this but it appears the Rivian either isn't geared properly or the engine isn't built properly to handle loads like this. My other hope is that Tesla is spending the extra time making sure the CT and the Semi can actually pull a good sized load without killing the batteries.

 

[TomGriff]

Towing with EVs (truck or other) will be fine around town or for distances that can be covered without charging. They will have plenty of torque. Small, aerodynamic trailers will be OK as well, even for distances because they are easily unhooked when you need to charge. Large trailers which will lower range and be more likely to impede traffic while charging will require a serious commitment to tow with any EV. A 400-500 mile day with a large trailer will require two stops charging well into the 80-90% battery charge (vs "regular" road trip tactic of charging 5%-50/60%) while also having to unhitch/hitch a trailer with a weight distributing hitch. That will make for a long day and require somewhere around 2 hours (1.5 hours charging, assuming CT will have a strong charging curve plus 15 minutes each stop to hitch/unhitch) vs an ICE vehicle (5-10 minutes for gas once, maybe twice). It will be possible, but it won't be fun. You will get good at dropping and hitching your trailer though. The CT may be even more sensitive to range loss than the other EV trucks because it will likely derive its range from efficiency and towing will significantly lower that efficiency - towing a more aerodynamic trailer like a pop-up or other collapsible trailer will likely be very doable - relatively easy to hitch/unhitch and less of a range hit.

 

[Royal Fish]

They also fail to mention that it only cost $12 At the charging station. Only a part charge but still a lot less than fuel.

 

[Firetruck41]

Surprised nobody commented on the results--
"Just so you know, the R1T has an EPA range of up to 314 miles (505 km); however, using Towing mode alone lowered the estimated range to 135 miles (217 km). That's less than half."

Did any of you actually click on the link and watch the video? Video worked for me.

The results don't surprise me and I'd like a comparison with a diesel truck pulling the same load. I know my 2013 V6 Tacoma pulling an older Ford pickup and an auto-transport would put me close to my 5000 lb towing rating, if not exceed it. When I pulled my ultralight trailer trailer (2600 lbs loaded), up I-5 from CA to WA, I know I got about half my rated highway mpg (11-12 mpg) but I also learned how to drop down a gear or two as well as go slower (max 3000 rpm, 3rd gear) and not blow up my engine like I see too many doing when they pull boats. My hope is that a properly geared EV truck will do better than this but it appears the Rivian either isn't geared properly or the engine isn't built properly to handle loads like this. My other hope is that Tesla is spending the extra time making sure the CT and the Semi can actually pull a good sized load without killing the batteries.

The Rivian handled the load just fine. In fact the hemi Ram chase vehicle couldn't keep up with it on the on-ramp. It was described as a very comfortable, quiet ride, and very well controlled. Battery capacity is the problem when towing a pretty heavy load, up one the steepest sustained sections of freeway in the country.

 

[Crissa]

I’m not seeing a video. ..?

It's mixed into the ads atop the linked article.

-Crissa

 

[egandalf]

"Just so you know, the R1T has an EPA range of up to 314 miles (505 km); however, using Towing mode alone lowered the estimated range to 135 miles (217 km). That's less than half."

They're also on AT tires, which according to Rivian's site results in a 10-15% range drop at the outset, so 270-280 initial range is more likely, putting the towing range at 50% - as expected?

Gunning the accelerator certainly didn't help matters, range-wise. Nor would the cold temps.

It's a real-world test, but not one we can take much certainty from.

 

[SentinelOne]

Another fool - plan on pulling my 9k (empty) - 13k (max) toy hauler...in Colorado so the Eisenhower grade will be part of it...for the most part, if I can get a true 200 mi range out of a 500mi range quad motor CT then I'll be happy as that's about as far as I go for camping most the time.

Concerns: I'll have more aggressive tires than that Rivian; charging stations typically not pull though (dont want to detach trailer); overall usable range in general between mountains, cold temps, my driving style, etc...

I'll keep the 3/4 ton diesel until im sure I'm good and either way, getting the CT