American towing test exposes flaw in electric utes of the future

A new breed of pick-up trucks is emerging in the United States, with the power and towing ability to match anything on the market. But there’s one big problem.

The electric ute of the future promises to do anything combustion-powered cousins can.

New models such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T are on sale in America, shaping up as viable alternatives to conventionally fuelled machines.

Ford fans are clambering to get hold of the F-150 Lightning in the US.

All three have plenty of power, more than adequate range, genuine off-road potential and the ability to tow heavy loads.

They seem the ideal solution to Australia’s growing reliance on fossil-fuelled utes, which have driven our vehicle emissions to much hight levels than the rest of the world.

The Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger – once the preserve of tradies and farmers – are now flavour of the month with adventure-seeking Aussie families keen to indulge their post-Covid freedom.

The pair sits at number one and two on the sales charts, while other favourites, the Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton, are often in the top ten on the sales charts.

But electric utes may have a significant hurdle to overcome with Aussie buyers.

A new test of EV pick-ups by America’s respected motoring magazine Car and Driver has exposed a flaw – their inability to drive long distances while towing.

Rivian’s R1T pick-up is taking the fight to established automotive brands.

The car magazine put the towing potential of the Hummer, Rivian and Lightning to the test by towing a 6100 pound (2767kg) trailer at 70mph (112.6km/h).

The trailer weighed well less than the claimed tow ratings for the Hummer (3401kg), Rivian (4989kg) and Lightning (4535kg).

Car and Driver found that the big electric utes felt great while towing, helped by powerful motors and the stability of weighty batteries.

The huge and heavy Hummer EV is an imposing beast.

“But you won’t want to be going far, as a full battery will take you a mere 100 miles (160km) in the Lightning, 110 miles (177km) in the R1T, and 140 miles (225km) in the Hummer,” road tester Dave Vanderwerp said.

“The range for all three trucks when towing was less than half as far as when cruising lightly loaded at 75 mph.”

Ford’s Lightning offers impressive storage, and the ability to serve as a giant battery or generator for power tools on worksites.

The range when towing fell well short of the claimed ranges for the Lightning (483km), Rivian (505km) and Hummer (529km).

Those ranges are about half what you can expect from an American diesel ute such as the RAM 1500, which claims 1046km in highway running.

The Hummer EV is rapid and clever, though its four-tonne weight leaves quite a footprint.

The team also found the inconvenience of frequent charging “a major hassle” due to the design of public charging stations that required drivers to disconnect the caravan, park it safely, and then connect to the charger. That’s because drive-through electric charging points similar to conventional petrol bowsers are almost non-existent, and it is difficult to park an electric car and trailer without obstructing other vehicles.

Originally published as American towing test exposes flaw in electric utes of the future