Electric vehicles are becoming extremely popular, with a government target to end the sale of petrol and diesel-powered cars by 2030. (The UK’s transition to electric vehicles. (www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-UKs-transition-to-electric-vehicles.pdf)
The current situation regarding towing with an electric vehicle is that few are designed to tow anything. This is because the primary focus of the manufacturer is to produce an electric vehicle that will travel over a long distance without the need for recharging. Adding the weight of a trailer or caravan would seriously limit the range of the vehicle, not something that the manufacturer would want to publish figures for.
So what options are available if you want a tow bar for an electric vehicle?
To start with, apart from hybrid vehicles, there are very few electric vehicles that have any towing capacity at all. This does not mean you can’t have a tow bar, it means you cannot tow anything with them, this includes trailers. (if you were to use a non-type-approved tow bar for towing then you would be breaking the law.)
To check if your vehicle can tow you will need to check the chassis plate or the vehicle’s logbook. Although many are not homologated to tow anything, electric vehicles can be fitted with a tow bar for use with cycle/bike carriers or tow box.
As there are lots of people buying electric vehicles and wanting to have a tow bar fitted for a bike carrier or to add a tow box a few manufacturers have started to make the tow bars on a made-to-order basis.
We don’t stock the electric vehicle tow bars as they are made to order. As the tow bars are made to order the lead time can be around six weeks from placing an order.
The latest electric vehicle tow bars we can supply are listed below…
AUDI e-tron [GEN] 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
BMW 3 Series [F30] Efficient Dynamics 2012-02 / 2014(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
BMW 3 Series [F30] LCI SedanEfficient Dynamics 03 / 2014-2018(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
MINI One [F56] 3 doors without MMR 2014-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
MINI One [F55] 5 doors without MMR 2014-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
MINI Cooper [F56] 3 doors without MMR 2014-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
MINI Cooper [F55] 5 doors without MMR 2014-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
BMW i3 [I01] 2013-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
PEUGEOT Partner Electric 2020-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
CITROEN C4-e 09 / 2020-(Not valid for towing)
(Under development) (Only valid for point loads)
DFSK F5 10/2020-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for point loads) (LPG included)
DFSK 580 08 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for point loads) (LPG included)
FORD Ecosport 2014-2015(Not valid for towing) (Except models without wheel on the tailgate)
(Only valid for specific loads)
HONDA e 09 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
HYUNDAI Kona Hybrid 11 / 2017-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads) (Inc. 100% Electric)
JAGUAR I-Pace [X590] 06 / 2018-12 / 2020(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
JAGUAR I-Pace [X590] 01 / 2021-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
KIA Niro without MMR 2016-05 / 2019(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
KIA Niro-e 06 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
LEXUS UX / UX 250h 03 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads) (Including models with boot opening with foot)
NISSAN Leaf 2014-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
Vauxhall Mokka-e 09 / 2020-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
PEUGEOT e-208 07 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
Vauxhall Corsa-e 07 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
DS AUTOMOBILES DS3 Crossback E-Tense 07 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
PEUGEOT e-2008 10 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads) (GT included)
RENAULT Zoe [ZE 40] 2018-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
TOYOTA Auris Hybrid without MMR 2013-(Not valid for towing) (The S value is approximate and will depend on each vehicle. Contact us)
(Only valid for specific loads)
TOYOTA Auris Touring Sports Hybrid without MMR 2013-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
TOYOTA Prius Plus Hybrid 03 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
VOLKSWAGEN ID3 09 / 2020-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
TESLA Model 3 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Only valid for specific loads)
TOYOTA Camry 220H [XV7] 04 / 2019-(Not valid for towing)
(Under development) (Only valid for point loads)
MAZDA MX-30 2020-(Not valid for towing)
(Under development) (Only valid for point loads)
FIAT 500e 06 / 2020-(Not valid for towing)
(Under development) (Only valid for point loads)
To get a price for an electric car tow bar and wiring kit please contact us by email or via the form below.
The other consideration when fitting an electric vehicle with a tow bar is that of the electric vehicle’s towing electrics.
Electric vehicles need vehicle-specific dedicated wiring, this is essential for safety and warranty reasons. Fitting unapproved electrics to your electric vehicle can cause expensive damage to the vehicle and will, in most cases invalidate any warranty from the dealer and manufacturer.
Vehicle-specific tow bar wiring kits for electric vehicles are available and we seriously recommend fitting them if you are buying a tow bar for your electric car. We can supply the kits, please use the form below for a quote.