When people opt for an electric car, their first concern is the range and the performance figures, but, sometimes you also need your EV to be very practical as things happen, and you may end up needing to carry or tow something around. Of course, in these cases, the best options you have are the electric trucks, which we all know have a great towing capacity and can be very helpful. But not everyone out there is interested in buying an electric truck. So, what can you do then? Well, in these situations, you should be happy to find out that there are other electric vehicles out there with great towing capacities, some of which are even sedans! Here’s a list of the top 10 electric vehicles that aren't trucks and still have great towing capacities.
10 Audi e-tron GT - 4,000 pounds
We know you would have expected to only see large SUVs on this list, but to our surprise too, there are also some electric sedans with great towing capacities. One of them comes from Audi. The e-tron GT features some engineering and visual similarities with the Porsche Taycan, but it is a lot more than just that. It is powered by two electric motors that deliver a combined 469 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque (or 522 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque with the overboost function on). In base trim, the e-tron GT goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and up to a top speed of 152 mph. The e-tron GT weighs 5,200 pounds and has a towing capacity of 4,000 pounds. By comparison, the Porsche Taycan has a maximum towing capacity of 3,300 pounds!
9 Audi E-tron - 4,000 pounds
Another EV coming from Audi with good towing capacity is the e-tron SUV - both standard and Sportback versions. The SUV is powered by two independent front and rear motors that deliver a combined 355 horsepower and 414 pound-feet of torque or 402 horses and 490 pound-feet with the Boost function on. There is also an S version that delivers a combined 426 horsepower and 596 pound-feet of torque - or 496 horses and 717 pound-feet with the Boost on. When properly equipped the e-tron SUV can tow up to 4,000 pounds -a lot better than the Jaguar I-Pace, for example, which can only tow 1,600 pounds. The e-tron SUV will be replaced by the Q8 e-tron which has a similar towing capacity.
8 Fisker Ocean - 4,000 pounds
The Fisker Ocean is one of the electric vehicles that is going to revolutionize the industry. It went on sale in early 2023 in four trim levels - Sport, Ultra, Extreme, and One - with the last one being a special edition that was sold out in just days. Depending on the trim, the Ocean delivers anywhere from 275 to 550 horsepower, and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in as low as 3.6 seconds. Range goes up to 350 miles - one of the best in the segment. But that's not the only thing that makes the Ocean cool. It also offers two cool California and Limo Modes - which makes it perfect for summer vacation - and can also tow up to 4,000 pounds. For this, however, you have to opt for the higher trims, as in the base Sport one towing is cut in half.
7 BMW i7 - 4,400 pounds
BMW
As surprising as this might sound, the BMW i7 has better towing capacity than most electric SUVs out there. The first thing that helps in that regard is its powerful powertrain. The i7 features a dual-motor setup that delivers a combined 536 horsepower and 549 pound-feet of torque. Then the i7 is a very heavy car, with a total weight of about 6,000 pounds. Despite this, it is fast - needs only 4.5 seconds to run from 0 to 60 mph and can hit a top speed of 131 mph (electronically limited). All these features combined give the i7 a towing capacity of 4,400 pounds. Combined with the incredible amount of interior space, and the luxury level it offers, the i7 can very easily become the perfect car you take on vacation.
6 Volvo EX90 - 4,850 pounds
One of the latest additions to Volvo's lineup - the EX90 - is not only going to be the company's first bespoke electric vehicle, but it will also change the way we look at electric cars. It will bring a lot of the world's first features - like the world's first interior radar system - and it will be the safest model Volvo ever built. When sales will begin in early 2024, the EX90 will also be the cheapest luxury seven-seater SUV on the market, and it will be offered in two trims: one with 408 horsepower and the other one with 517 horsepower. The model will also be an all-wheel-drive, and it will offer features like one-pedal driving and torque vectoring as standard. It will also have a towing capacity of 4,850 pounds.
5 Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor - 5,000 pounds
In base form, the Polestar 3 is powered by two electric motors that deliver a combined 483 ponies and 620 pound-feet of torque. However, Polestar is also offering a performance package that increases these numbers to 510 horses and 671 pound-feet of torque. The electric motors get their power from a 107-kWh battery pack that provides a range of 300 miles. In its best configuration - when it also weighs 5,886 pounds - the Polestar 3 has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, but it goes down to 3,500 pounds in standard configuration. Just for the sake of comparison, one of its biggest rivals - the Model Y - has a towing capacity of only 3,500 pounds. The model is also loaded with lots of cool luxury features, offers plenty of cargo space, and will be equipped to support Level 3 driving autonomy. Of course, all these cool features come with a price - when the Polestar 3 will go on sale later this year it will have a starting price of $83,900.
4 Tesla Model X - 5,000 pounds
Tesla launched the Model X with the plan for it to become the ultimate luxury SUV, but plans didn't really work out that way. Lately, lots of customers have reported reliability issues that crashed sales. Still, the Model X remains one of the fastest, most powerful SUVs, with the best towing capacities. With power up to 1,020 horsepower, the Model X can run from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and offers a range of up to 348 miles. When equipped with the 20-inch wheels the Model X has a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, but, with the larger 22-inch wheels, the figure goes down to 3,500 pounds. The SUV also benefits from a special Trailer Mode that will lower the suspension and disables the warnings for the rear proximity sensors.
3 BMW iX - 5,500 pounds
The BMW iX is offered in two trims: iX xDrive50 and iX M60. The first one features a dual-motor setup that churns out 516 horses and 564 pound-feet of torque, while in the latter, the setup produces a total of 610 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. The electric motors get their power from a 111.5-kWh battery that provides a range of up to 324 miles. Both the iX trims have a towing capacity of 5,500 pounds - that places the SUV on top of its usual German competitors. For the sake of comparison, both the Audi E-Tron and Mercedes EQC have a maximum towing capacity of 4,000 pounds. Of course, great performance figures come with big prices, and the iX is not cheap by all means: prices for the 2023 model year start from $87,100.
2 GMC Hummer EV SUV - 7,500 pounds
Built on GM's new Ultium platform, the GMC Hummer EV SUV features the same powertrain as the Hummer EV truck. The base trims are powered by two electric motors that deliver a combined 625 horses and 7,400 pound-feet of torque, while the top versions get three electric motors that deliver a combined 830 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque. The SUV has a massive weight of 9,000 pounds, and, combined with the impressive amount of torque, offers it a towing capacity of up to 7,500 pounds in its best configuration. It also has a payload capacity of 1,300 pounds - numbers that make it the perfect carrier. Still, Motor Trend thinks the Hummer EV needs a special towing mode that stiffens up the suspension to control body motions.
1 Rivian R1S - 7,700 pounds
Trucks aside, the Rivian R1S is the electric vehicle with the best towing capacity. The R1S features a quad-motor setup that delivers up to 845 horsepower and 829 pound-feet of torque - numbers than make it one of the most powerful SUVs in the world. These numbers also explain the R1S' impressive towing capacity: 7,700 pounds. And, while it is 4,000 pounds under the R1T truck, it's still the best you will get from an electric SUV. The R1S has a range of up to 316 miles - based on the configuration you opt for. However, you should keep in mind that towing will severely affect the range. A recent test proved that towing causes a typical range loss of about 50 percent, so make sure you have a charging station nearby when using the R1S for towing.