Much debate surrounds the sticky topics of rising fuel costs and the infrastructure required to charge electric cars. I hope to provide a snapshot of the electric car marketplace and their ability to tow larger caravans, plus how to recharge while towing a caravan. Other fuel types may be adopted, but for the purposes of this article, I’ll concentrate on electricity.

In 2021, I borrowed a Tesla Model 3 and a Bailey Discovery D4-2 for a real-life caravanning weekend to better understand towing a caravan with an electric car. At the time, few EVs could tow a large, family-sized caravan, but the 995 kg Discovery D4-2 gave me a greater insight into the advantages and disadvantages of towing with an electric car. Thanks to The Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Towcar 2024 competition, I recently tested seven new electric cars that are more than capable of towing a wide variety of Bailey models.

Towing a caravan with an electric car can be a polarising topic, so I’ll be playing devil’s advocate, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of towing a caravan with an electric car, including how towing a caravan can affect the range of an electric car, and the practicalities of charging an electric car while towing.

For balance and transparency, it’s worth mentioning that I regularly drive vehicles from the 1930s to the present day, with my current tow vehicle being a Mercedes Vito diesel. I aim to provide a balanced view of towing a caravan with an electric car based on research, interviews, and personal experience. I’ll also share the experiences of EV caravanner Toby Rees, who tows his Bailey Unicorn with a Polestar 2.

Without exception, all the cars listed have excellent towing characteristics, more of which shortly. It’s worth noting that each car was paired with a caravan that reflected its towing limit, and both car and caravan were suitably ballasted to reflect the weights carried during a family holiday.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles ID Buzz Style SWB 204PS 77 kWh

Towing limit: 1000 kg

Which Bailey caravan?

• Bailey Discovery D4-2

Volkswagen ID.4 Style Edition 77 kWh Pro Performance 204PS

Towing limit: 1000 kg

Which Bailey caravan?

• Bailey Discovery D4-2

Volkswagen ID.5 GTX Style 77 kWh GTX 4MOTION 299PS

Towing limit: 1200 kg

Which Bailey caravans?

• All Bailey Discovery Models
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 420

SKODA Enyaq Coupe iV 82 kWh vRS

Towing limit: 1400 kg

Which Bailey caravans?

• All Bailey Discovery Models
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 420
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 440

Polestar 2 MY24

Towing limit: 1500 kg

Which Bailey caravan?

• All Bailey Discovery Models
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 420
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 440
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 640
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 642
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 644
• Bailey Unicorn Seville
• Bailey Unicorn Madrid

Genesis Electrified GV70 AWD

Towing limit: 1800 kg

Which Bailey Caravan?

• All Bailey Discovery models
• All Bailey Phoenix GT75 models
• All Bailey Pegasus Grande GT75 models
• All Bailey Unicorn models
• Bailey Alicanto Grande Lisbon

Volvo XC40 Recharge

Towing limit: 1800 kg

Which Bailey Caravan?

• All Bailey Discovery models.
• All Bailey Phoenix GT75 models.
• All Bailey Pegasus Grande GT75 models.
• All Bailey Unicorn models.
• Bailey Alicanto Grande Lisbon.

Nissan ARIYA 87 kWh Evolve e-4ORCE.

Towing limit: 1500 kg

Which Bailey caravans?

• All Bailey Discovery Models
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 420
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 440
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 640
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 642
• Bailey Phoenix GT75 644
• Bailey Unicorn Seville
• Bailey Unicorn Madrid

With the batteries housed low in the car, it feels like any input from the caravan, i.e., side winds or turbulence from lorries and larger vehicles, is transmitted directly from the tow ball to the battery pack itself. This low centre of gravity makes for a well-mannered tow car, but the turbine-like power delivery also plays a huge part. Acceleration from an electric tow car is brisk – with or without a caravan – and if you’d like more oomph when accelerating from a slip road or performing a steep hill start, the power is instant.

There are many factors to consider here, such as weather conditions (including wind, ambient temperature, etc.), caravan size, weight carried, etc. However, as an approximate guide, the range when towing was approximately 50% of the solo figure. This is broadly representative of all models tested. Using my diesel Mercedes Vito as a comparison, the MPG when towing is approximately 57% of the solo figure.

A few charging stations throughout the UK offer caravanners the ability to charge with the caravan attached, although this type of charging station is currently limited. For the most part, caravans must be unhitched (and locked) before your electric vehicle can be topped up at the dedicated charging point.

Much like any other car, an electric car can only tow a caravan if it has sufficient towing capacity.

Electric cars are often called EVs or BEVs. EV stands for Electric Vehicle, while BEV stands for Battery Electric Vehicle.

The towing limit for an electric car varies from model to model, but using the models listed here as a guide, Volkswagen’s ID Buzz can tow a 1000 kg caravan, while the Volvo XC40 Recharge can tow a caravan weighing 1800 kg.

Yes. In fact, if you choose to charge your electric car from your caravan’s pitch, this is the method recommended by The Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Technical Department. For further details on how to do this, please refer to the Tesla Model 3/Bailey Discovery article.

From the models tested here, the Polestar 2 and the Nissan ARIYA 87 kWh Evolve e-4ORCE can both tow a 1500kg caravan.

Yes. Many electric vehicle manufacturers offer tow bars as an option when ordering a new EV.

Our Bailey journey began in 2009 with a Pageant S7 Bretagne, which we towed with a Volvo XC90 D5—an excellent family combination. When the kids outgrew the triple bunk, we moved to a Bailey Pegasus Ancona with its separate shower – a nice upgrade, and we stuck with the big Volvo tug. In 2016, our beloved Ancona was stolen, and with no suitable equivalent on the market and the children getting ready to move on, we purchased a Bailey Unicorn S3 Vigo. Soon after, we added a Volvo V60 D6 PHEV as an alternative tow car, but that burst of electrical power was addictive.

At the end of 2020, I could move to an EV through a company car scheme, which was too good an opportunity to miss. The Polestar was ordered with the factory-fit, semi-automatic tow bar, plus the accompanying stability program and towing aids (trailer light check, reversing camera towbar view). As the Polestar has frameless mirrors, we replaced our trusty Milenco Grand Aero towing mirrors with lightweight items from Suck It & See.

As anyone who has towed will tell you, an automatic gearbox and low-down torque are key when manoeuvring and getting up to speed, and – as anyone who has towed electric will tell you – this is where EVs excel. With no gears and 650Nm of torque from stationary, the Polestar is a superb tow car. Poised on the road and unfazed by the caravan on the back, it can eat up the miles in a very relaxed manner.

Our first trip, just two days after the Polestar arrived, was 40 miles from home. It was a taste of things to come. Our third trip, 260 miles from home to our favourite site in the Lake District, was much more of a real-world adventure, and the car/caravan combination proved up to the task. In the XC90 days, we would have made two stops, and this was the same, although we stopped in slightly different places. With some considered driving, the Polestar will deliver between 130 and 140 miles while towing on a full charge, but that is further than we can go before needing a comfort break.

Stops at Stone MSA and Preston East gave us plenty of time to recharge both us and the car before arriving at our destination. The usual five-hour journey was extended by 40 minutes, but we felt more refreshed because of it.

On that occasion, we opted to charge from the pitch [The Caravan and Motorhome Club charge £9 for 24 hours] using our “granny lead”, netting a 55% charge increase. Having spent a week on-site, our return journey was just as easy, stopping again at Preston and then at Hilton Park, north of Birmingham. With over 1600 miles towed in our first season to Brecon, Whitby, Buxton, the Lakes, and a few local trips, we are hooked.

Since then, with the number of ultra-rapid chargers increasing all the time, we are very happy to tow electric around the UK. However, it won’t be for all. If your idea of a caravan holiday is a 24-hour 1500-mile sprint to southern Europe, then an EV may not be for you. But if your car journeys are 90% solo, with 10% towing, and you are happy to cover up to 300 miles daily, an EV may fit the bill.