Any electric vehicles out there that can be

CoeyCoey wrote:
What I want is an EV that can be towed, and then the regenerative braking power goes into the car battery and house batteries. Also, you could use the EV as an extra battery back for electricity when boon docking.

What you want is a plug-in hybrid motorhome.

You can tow any EV and it will charge a bit the entire time you are driving. That is until the battery is full. Then EV just coasts. The braking system that applies the brakes would create additional regenerative charging while stopping (most EVs). However NO manufacturer officially allows their EV to be towed 4 down. Best recommendation I have would be to pick up an old LEAF for a few thousand and give it a go.

You can leave the EV 'on' and it will keep the 12v battery charged. You can draw power off the 12v EV battery either direct, use an inverter to drive maybe a 20 amp charger, or use a DC-DC charge booster to feed the MH house battery.

steved28 wrote:
Some Ford hybrid/plug-in hybrids can be towed 4 down. I don't know why you would want to use the regen to charge, it would be like towing a vehicle with the brakes on. No gain. Better would be to use the flat rate electricity you are paying for at most campgrounds and use it to charge the vehicle.

Bingo. Although I see the attraction to using an EV for additional shore power the charging going down the road doesn’t make sense to me.

In Japan they have a device for connecting a Leaf to the grid. Not availble here.

Some Ford hybrid/plug-in hybrids can be towed 4 down. I don't know why you would want to use the regen to charge, it would be like towing a vehicle with the brakes on. No gain. Better would be to use the flat rate electricity you are paying for at most campgrounds and use it to charge the vehicle.

What I want is an EV that can be towed, and then the regenerative braking power goes into the car battery and house batteries. Also, you could use the EV as an extra battery back for electricity when boon docking.

It’s more of a warranty invalidation issue. There are you tube videos of Leafs and Teslas being towed and charged.

We tow our EV’s on a trailer. Some people how their Leafs on a dolly without problem.

We don’t see the need. Simpler just to use commercial chargers at destination. Or trailer it an run a 120 umbilical from the coach genny. ( We wouldn’t do that either). Or charge it at the campground with permission and proper compensation to the campground owner.

GordonThree wrote:

Are all EVs using wheel motors now? I thought some were using a more traditional central motor power-train system, which would make flat towing just as complicated (or not) as an ICE vehicle. Maybe the wheel motor design can't be flat towed due to cooling issues?

The complication in an ICE vehicle is that you cannot let the motor freely spin, so there must be some form of disconnection. Not the case in an EV, just let it spin.

camperdave wrote:
That would be cool, and very doable. Set up regeneration on a surge brake type setup so it's only activated when decelerating (like surge brakes). Win win.

Once the batteries are full, they stop regenerating. No harm done, it just freewheels. Like when I leave my house in the morning with a full charge and drive down the large hill we live on. Gotta use the brakes at the bottom when fully charged.

But alas, as of now no one is doing anything like this. At least not yet...

and fwiw there is no technical reason that EV's can't be towed four down. It's just an electric motor, it doesn't mind freewheeling at all.

Are all EVs using wheel motors now? I thought some were using a more traditional central motor power-train system, which would make flat towing just as complicated (or not) as an ICE vehicle. Maybe the wheel motor design can't be flat towed due to cooling issues?

While working for a Detroit OE and as a part of their early hybrid program, I suggested this and about go thrown out of the room. When the rest started to inhale, I explained that there could be a really good market as toweds. (Then I explained that term.)

This would not be all that hard to do whether full EV or Hybrid. They are all controlled by a driveline controlling processor. There is no reason that there could not be a program included that says when the TV is braking, go to regen. So, I may have been years ahead, but I can hope some poor sap that is still employed gets credit for the obvious.

With the process capability that these things have now, this would not be any real hard thing to do.

Matt

That would be cool, and very doable. Set up regeneration on a surge brake type setup so it's only activated when decelerating (like surge brakes). Win win.

Once the batteries are full, they stop regenerating. No harm done, it just freewheels. Like when I leave my house in the morning with a full charge and drive down the large hill we live on. Gotta use the brakes at the bottom when fully charged.

But alas, as of now no one is doing anything like this. At least not yet...

and fwiw there is no technical reason that EV's can't be towed four down. It's just an electric motor, it doesn't mind freewheeling at all.

gbopp wrote:

ScottG wrote:

Horsedoc wrote:
not sure about towability, but the Toyota Prius would charge the battery on down hill

Problem is, it would quickly over charge.

If you tow it backwards will it drain the battery? :B

You know, I remember wondering if it charged going backwards and reversing down my street to see what it does.
Now I can't remember what happened!
Stupid old age. :S