Tow Story: Kona Electric hauling a camper trailer

The Driven

My wife and I have recently added a tow bar to our Hyundai Kona electric car and successfully completed a test run with our newly-acquired camper trailer.

We drove from our home in Canberra to Narooma on the NSW south coast, stayed two nights and returned to Canberra.

Before recounting the details of that trip, first I’d like to explain how I concluded that this would probably not end in disaster, in spite of Scott Morrison’s warning: “I’ll tell you what – it (an EV) is not going to tow your trailer … It’s not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot … Bill Shorten wants to end the weekend”.

Last year, an article in The Driven described using a tow bar intended for a petrol Hyundai Kona on the electric version of the Kona. The petrol Kona has a tow rating of 1300kg braked or 650kg un-braked, with a tow ball load limit of 130kg.

The article discussed practical and legal concerns about towing with the electric Kona in light of Hyundai’s instruction book simply saying “not recommended” without providing a tow rating or elaborating on the topic. One suggested reason for Hyundai declining to provide a tow rating was that car’s range estimates could be inaccurate.

A follow–up article in The Driven described an extended trip with a light weight trailer and two kayaks behind that Kona. This was followed by an example of a Tesla Model 3 towing 6 canoes and other gear for scouts.

I was inspired to consider buying a camper trailer or small caravan of some sort to use with our electric Kona. This would be a step beyond the examples above so I did further research before diving in.

To read the full version of this story – and view the photo gallery – on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…

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