Our new Tesla Model X faces its first challenge.
Love it or loathe it, electric cars are gaining market share. As we move away from the internal combustion engine, we’re faced with challenges that emphasize the virtues and drawbacks of owning a pure electric vehicle. With the purchase of our new long-term 2019 Tesla Model X, the first “can you live with it” question involves towing. Can you actually tow with an electric car? Andre and Tommy load up the Model X and head on our abbreviated 66-mile efficiency loop to find out.
Per the EPA, the 2019 Tesla Model X Long Range can manage up to 325 miles on a single charge. Completely unladen, the car has no trouble managing that distance with plenty of range to spare. In fact, traveling at 70 mph on Interstate 76 in Colorado, the car managed to use 19.3 kWh of electricity, or about 21 percent of its total capacity.
Once you hook up something like a Cimarron two-axle horse trailer, however, how will the range picture change? Combined, the 5,400 pound Model X and 4,460 pound trailer add up to a combined weight of 9,860 pounds. Once Andre and Tommy hook up the trailer, the efficiency loop begins again with 218 miles of starting range. While the car starts at 67 percent of its total range, will it make the trip to the halfway point near Wiggins, Colorado and back?
Check out the video above to see how the Tesla’s first challenge pans out. Come back to TFLcar.com for more episodes of the Adventure X series, including our test up the Ike Gauntlet, the “World’s Toughest Towing Test”.
