The best electric car for towing has been named by a panel of experts, alongside the 10 EV models with the best towing capacity.
The Kia EV6 was voted the overall best electric tow car for the second year in a row by judges from What Car? and the Camping and Caravanning Club as part of the annual What Car? Tow Car Awards.
Despite not boasting the highest towing capacity, its 1,600kg limit was the same as many of the best petrol and diesel models and considered far better for the car’s weight compared with some rival EV models. The judges also praised its stability and power while towing and the car’s overall practicality and driveability when not towing, which helped it beat vehicles with higher maximum weight limits.
As part of the awards, the consumer title carried out a survey which found that 40.4% of motorists thought electric cars can’t be used for towing. The same research found 75.6% of respondents would not consider an electric car if they had to use it for towing.
Of the 85 electric cars on the market today, 50 can be used to tow with according to the manufacturers, representing 58.8% of the market, and nine models are rated up to 1,800kg.
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “More and more electric cars can now be used for towing, yet our survey highlights a significant proportion of motorists remain unaware of this. As What Car?’s research shows, a number of electric cars currently come with maximum towing capacities equivalent to those found in petrol and diesel models, and this will only grow.”
With that in mind, here are the 10 EVs with the best towing capacities, currently on sale in the UK.
5. Mercedes-Benz EQA - 1,800kg
The EQA is the first and smallest of three Mercedes-Benz SUVs on this list but shares the same impressive towing abilities as its bigger and more expensive stablemates. Entry-level front-wheel-drive 250+ models aren’t so able but the EQA 300 with 225bhp/288lb ft and the EQA 350 with its 288bhp and 384lb ft can both manage up to 1,800kg while offering all the latest driver aids and comfort tech you’d expect from the three-pointed star. | Mercedes-Benz
6. Mercedes-Benz EQC - 1,800kg
The EQA’s seven-seat sibling the EQB doesn’t make it onto this list, so if you want a more spacious electric Mercedes for towing your caravan then it’s a £20k jump to the EQC. A rival to the Q8 e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace, the EQC is also a four-wheel-drive SUV with just over 400bhp and a massive 561lb ft but its 80kWh battery offers just a shade over 250 mile of range and relatively low 110kW charging ability. | Mercedes-Benz =
7. Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV - 1,800kg
The EQS SUV is the pinnacle of Mercedes’s electric range. A huge SUV companion to the EQS saloon, it’s a £130,000 showcase for the very latest in cutting edge technology, from the latest driver assistance to a three-screen digital dashboard. It’s also equipped with a 108KWh battery than offers more than 300 miles of driving and two motors that offer up to and up to 537bhp and 633lb ft. | Mercedes-Benz
8. Volvo XC40 Recharge (twin motor) - 1,800kg
The XC40 Recharge is an alternative to the Mercedes EQA in the compact premium SUV segment, offering Scandinavian cool in the face of German ostentation. Like the EQA, this relatively small SUV packs a massive towing punch thanks to a twin-motor all-wheel-drive setup that produces 402bhp and 494lb ft. It's also laden with the latest safety kit and recently received a battery upgrade that improves its range to 334 (when not towing a caravan). | Volvo