Tesla’s Smallest Offering Is Now Rated To Tow 2,200 Pounds

Towing with electric cars isn’t always an easy proposition, but if you own a Tesla Model 3 “Highland” (introduced in 2024), it just got a little easier. The somewhat beleaguered automaker now offers a towing package for its popular entry-level sedan, giving it 2,200 pounds of towing capability thanks to a high-strength steel tow bar and a 2-inch hitch receiver. The package is only offered for non-Performance Model 3 models manufactured in 2024 or later, meaning it won’t be compatible with the pre-update Tesla sedan, but that’s probably for the best given the suspension enhancements Tesla made for the Highland’s updates.

Turning The EV Into A Light-Load Lugger

In the scheme of towing, 2,200 pounds isn’t a whole lot, but it’s still enough to have some fun. For example. Sea-Doo’s smallest pontoon boat, a teensy 13-footer with space for five passengers, weighs in at 2,153 pounds – conveniently, the Model 3 seats five anyway. That trailer rating would also allow the Model 3 to lug a pop-up tent camper or a cargo trailer, both of which weigh 1,000 pounds or less depending on equipment. And although towing usually affects range significantly, small trailers have less of a deletrious effect, meaning it could still be possible to take your Model 3 and camper or boat to the mountains for a weekend of fun without needing to stop to charge too frequently.

Since the Tesla towing package also includes a seven-pin electrical connector, it enables the use of electric trailer brakes for towables so equipped. The package also features a towing software reflash, which programs the car’s stability controls to step in and mitigate trailer sway if detected. The kit costs $1,300 and ships directly to a Tesla service center, and installation is included in the price. That said, we’re not sure who’s demanding the ability to tow with their Model 3. Presumably, the towing package will most often be used by folks who want an OEM-installed spot to put their hitch accessories, like bike racks and cargo trays.

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The Model 3 Isn’t Tesla’s First Trailering Rodeo

The Model 3 is only the latest Tesla to get an optional towing package. Its Cybertruck, for example, has a factory-rated towing capacity of up to 11,000 pounds. But as mentioned above, the ability to tow doesn’t always mean it’s a great idea. Bowlus Travel Trailers CEO Geneva Long hitched one of her company’s 4,000-pound polished aluminum RVs to the back of of a Cybertruck Foundation Series and achieved just 160 miles of range. The Bowlus trailer came in at well under half the Cybertruck’s rated capacity, yet still demolished range by 180 miles.

In contrast, Long attempted the same task nine years ago with a Tesla Model X. Using the same 4,000-pound trailer, that much older EV towed for 235 miles – a mere 95-mile deficit relative to its 330-mile range. Here’s hoping the Model 3 Highland follows its SUV sibling’s example when it comes to towing range, because the Cybertruck just isn’t built to tow even meager loads long distances.

Source: Tesla via Autoevolution