Trailer towing

[Stormconnors]

Anybody heard anything about trailer towing capacity?

[hermperez]

probably none.. it would kill the range and CS mpg, not to speak of straining the motors.

How about if the Volt can be towed with all four wheels on the ground?

[ChrisC]

The Tesla Roadster has a tow mode which apparently releases something in the transmission so it can freewheel. However the warranty requires flatbed hauling -- towing violates the warranty. Again, this is the Tesla Roadster, and second hand information at best.

[hermperez]

I believe the Borg transmission in the Roadster engages a pawl to lock the gear teeth when the car is in park.. I also believe the Coda is using a similar setup with their Borg transmission.

[JeremyK]

The Tesla Roadster has a tow mode which apparently releases something in the transmission so it can freewheel. However the warranty requires flatbed hauling -- towing violates the warranty. Again, this is the Tesla Roadster, and second hand information at best.

It think he's asking about whether or not the Volt can tow a trailer, not whether it can be towed.

Towing would not "kill" the CS mpg. It would affect it similary to a normal small car pulling a small trailer. I see my hwy mpg drop from about 27 mpg to 23 mpg when I pull my motorcycle on a 4' X 8' single axle trailer. I would bet the Volt would get around 30 mpg in CS mode at 70 mph, while towing a small trailer (under 1000 lbs) if it didn't add too much wind resistance.

The big question is WHY can't the Volt tow? According to a post on the main page today in response to a question I asked:
JeffN wrote: Volt Owner Manual page 9-57: “The vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer or another vehicle.”

My question is: What is keeping the Volt from being able to pull a small Class I trailer?

The loads required during full acceleration are greater than moderate acceleration with a trailer. Knee jerk reaction might be that the e-motor would overheat but consider that cruising at 70mph while pulling a trailer would require less power than cruising at 90 mph without a trailer....Surely the Volt has been desinged and tested to run at high speed for extended periods. So, what's the deal?

Sure, it wouldn't be a good idea to pull a trailer, even if small, through the mountains. The Volt's ICE would probably not be able to keep up with the power demands and the battery would slowly drain to an unacceptable level, affecting the performance. But for most of us driving in level ground, in moderate conditions, at prudent speeds, a trailer should not be a problem.

The subframe (in the rear) of the car should almost identical to the Cruze. Even my Gen I Volt could pull a small trailer and it only had about 120 hp.



Apparently there are already aftermarket hitches available for the Cruze.

[hermperez]

The big question is WHY can't the Volt tow? According to a post on the main page today in response to a question I asked:
JeffN wrote: Volt Owner Manual page 9-57: “The vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer or another vehicle.”

My question is: What is keeping the Volt from being able to pull a small Class I trailer?

A lot has to do with legal liability, the Volt's brake/suspension system must be able to control a fully loaded car plus a trailer to the standards required by DOT.. I doubt it is a chassis rigidity issue since these new cars are being made much stronger than cars a decade ago, at the expense of higher weights.

Keep an eye on the Ampera in Europe, GM may certify it for towing there since the laws are different.. and you can grey market import the hitches and hardware to the US. The parts should just drop in. Same thing goes for the LEAF.

[George S. Bower]

Screw it Jeremy. Just put the hitch on there. However, take it off when you sell it. Your not pulling any more wt than 3 passengers. Just don't exceed the GVWR of the car.

[Cab Driver]

How about if the Volt can be towed with all four wheels on the ground?

Chevy has said that the Volt should be towed front wheels up, not flat. Sorry.

[Herto]

Keep an eye on the Ampera in Europe, GM may certify it for towing there since the laws are different.. and you can grey market import the hitches and hardware to the US. The parts should just drop in. Same thing goes for the LEAF.

It's also very improbable that the Ampera will be able to tow, as the rear antifog light is just where the towing hook would take place.

[JeremyK]

Screw it Jeremy. Just put the hitch on there. However, take it off when you sell it. Your not pulling any more wt than 3 passengers. Just don't exceed the GVWR of the car.

Agreed. The term GVWR includes the tongue weight of the trailer, so as long as the vehicle isn't already at it's limit another 100-150 lbs of tongue weight isn't going to make that much of a difference. As long as the rear subframe isn't altered substantially from the Cruze, a Cruze hitch should fit.

I'm only pushing this subject because I doubt my wife is going to let me put a hitch on her new car next year and I need to be able to use my trailer.