Kyle Conner has spent some time with the Audi e-tron of late. While he may have been skeptical of the electric SUV due to its relatively short range, lack of competitive efficiency, and high sticker price, he's been happy with the e-tron in many ways. Most importantly, Conner has proven that the e-tron is actually a really good road trip SUV. Now he's out to prove whether it's a good SUV for towing.
Electric vehicle towing tests have joined to ranks with drag races and range tests as being very popular among the EV community, as well as prospective EV buyers. We've learned that all EVs take a big range and efficiency hit while towing, but this has also reminded us that gas vehicles see a large impact as well, people just don't pay as much attention.
Conner tows a smart fortwo ED with the e-tron. The smart car used to be his, but he sold it to a friend. Now it needs service, so it's time for the e-tron to tow it to the shop.
According to the EPA, the 2019 Audi E-Tron 55 Quattro has a range of 204 miles. Its combined efficiency comes in at 74 MPGe or 46 kWh/100mi. For comparison, the Tesla Model Y has 326 miles of range, 125 MPGe, and 27 KWh/100mi. You can see more electric SUVs compared below.
Conner says on the way to the track, the e-tron averaged just 2.2 miles per kWh, though he was driving 85 or 90 mph, and it was wet and rainy. He asks, "Will we see less than 2 miles per kilowatt-hour while towing?" He believes that will be the case. In fact, Kyle says they may even see just 1 mile per kWh.
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It's time to place your bets before you watch the video. Will the e-tron surprise us as it did on its recent road trip test? Will it be a lost cause to even bother trying to tow with this electric SUV? Check out the video for all the answers.
Source: Out of Spec Reviews (YouTube)