Image: Morten Hugo Bennick, Polyteknisk Flyvegruppe
Whether an electric vehicle can effectively and cheaply tow cargo has always been a source of much controversy. The owner of a Tesla Model 3 Long Range tows his 4,410 lb glider 2,175 miles from Denmark to France and back, and proves that it is cheaper than doing the same using a car with an internal combustion engine.
Morten Hugo Bennick is a member of the World Gliding Championship and has always used ICE vehicles to transport his glider to the competition site. Nevertheless, the time came when he decided to replace his ICE car with an electric vehicle and Tesla Model 3 was the best candidate.
In August 2021, Bennick traveled to Montluçon-Guéret, France, for the championship. He needed to cover a distance of over 2,000 miles and still pull a 4,410 lb trailer with a glider on it. Since it was the first time in his life to travel such a long distance with a large load and to such an important event via an EV, Bennick was very worried and tried to ensure himself at every step.
Initially, Bennick made a mistake with the car charging algorithm. Due to concerns about charging, he charged the car too often, which was very inefficient as it was too slow to charge. This is due to the fact that from 0 to 60% the car charges the fastest, so the car should be charged when its battery is almost empty. However, as soon as the algorithm of incorrect actions was discovered, it was immediately corrected. That is why the trip back was more efficient and quicker than the trip to the championship.
Bennick said that driving the Model 3 with the 4,410-lb trailer attached was a dream. He was pleased that he could very easily and most importantly quickly overtake another vehicle on the road, without creating an emergency situation, which is possible thanks to the fast acceleration in Tesla cars. Driving up hill was also a positive experience, especially as the energy used by the car to climb hills was partially recovered on descents thanks to recuperation.
Aside from the fun of driving the Model 3, the bill that came with the ride also made Bennick happy. In fact, it turned out that the Tesla saved its owner about €120 compared to a gasoline car and about €40 compared to a diesel one. Thus, it has been proven that driving an electric car, even with a trailer, is still more cost-effective than a car with an internal combustion engine. In addition, it does not pollute the environment during operation.
Here are some statistics on the trip:
The average consumption of a car with a trailer for the entire trip: 194 W/km.
Charging time on the way to the World Championships (hours): 5:01 for 2 days on the way.
Charging time on the way home from the World Championships (hours) 3:44 for 2 days.
Both days included the time required to detach and attach the trailer.
Number of recharging stops on route to the World Championships: 8
Number of charging stops on the way back: 6
Longest stretch on a single charge: 186 miles.
H/T @sladecek_martin/Twitter
© 2021, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.
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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
