Disclaimer: There are so many variables that go into this that I’d be much more comfortable with knowing more about the specific route, climate/weather/elevation changes/etc during the trip, and what ever other variables you know ahead of time like speed, etc. You can also plug your specifics into the ABRP planner, tell it you’re towing a trailer, and ask it to give you an estimate. Note that ABRP is conservative and sometimes suggests a route isn’t possible when it is easily possible. You have to set your maximum speed because it sometimes assumes something like 90 mph as your maximum...
Assumptions:
- It’s a time of year where the weather is neither terribly hot nor terribly cold;
- You have to climb from, say, 2500 feet to 5000 feet on the way there and there are few, if any, extra valleys;
- You’re on a two-lane mountain road as shown in the photo;
- Winds are minimal;
- Speed limit is 65 mph, but the mountain curves suggest 45-55 are the more responsible speeds;
- Tires are at 51 PSI cold instead of the manufacturer door sticker of 36 PSI. You shouldn’t be towing with the lower pressure the manufacturer suggests, which is at least partly based on passenger comfort and not so much on towing stability and efficiency;
Start with the Lightning at 100%, 320-340 miles on the guessing-meter. You won’t get 320 miles while towing.
Driving at an average of 55 mph, sometimes climbing to 65, sometimes slowing to 45 or even slower when going through a town. Assume an average of 55 mph.
250 miles / 55 mph = 4.5 hours nominal travel time.
I would expect, if you don’t drive wildly, that you could get between 1.5 and 1.8 miles/kWh on the drive to your trailhead. I’ll assume it’s 1.5 miles/kWh. I’ve gotten as bad as 1.1 when I was racing a storm while towing a tractor and I went 75 mph up from ~4000 feet elevation to 7200 feet elevation over 50 miles. I can get worse if I try. I can get worse if the winds are bad or if there’s particularly bad weather.
These legs are made-up, based on first-leg number of hours I’d want to sit.
- Leg 1: 138 miles; 2.5 hours
- I wouldn’t drive for more than 2.5 hours myself because I don’t like to sit too long.
- Start at 100%
- Average speed of 55 mph for 2.5 hours = 138 miles.
- 138 miles at 1.5 miles/kWh = 92 kWh.
- 92 kWh of 131 kWh = 70%.
- Truck is at 30% state of charge when you stop.
- Charge to 85%; On the Lightning 30% to 85% would take about 20-25 minutes.
- Total leg time: 2.83 hours
- Leg 2: 82 miles; 1.5 hours
- Stop at the charger that's 30 miles from your destination; 82 miles from your previous charger.
- 82 miles / 1.5 miles/kWh = 55 kWh, or 42% used.
- From 85% to 42% = 43% remaining.
- Charge to 85%, which should take about 15 minutes.
- Total leg time: 1.75 hours
- Leg 3: 30 miles; 33 minutes
- 30 miles / 1.5 miles/kWh = 20 kWh.
- 20 kWh = 15% of the battery.
- 85-15=70%
- Total leg time: 0.5 hours
- I would be carrying a solar system with a battery that can build up enough charge to charge the truck about 10-14 kWh per day. But let’s assume you don’t carry any solar.
- Total travel time: About 5 hours.
Going home, you might be able to get 2.0-2.2 miles/kWh home, but estimate 1.8 miles/kWh.
- Leg 1: 125 miles; 2.3 hours.
- Starting with 70% state of charge.
- Assume your first preferred homeward charger is 125 miles from the campsite.
- To go 125 miles, you would use about 53%, bringing you down to 17%.
- Charge to 65%. About 15-20 minutes.
- I would charge to 60% to save money, but I know some people aren’t comfortable with that.
- If you charge to 80%, it’ll add another 5-10 minutes.
- Total leg time: 2.6 hours
- Leg 2: 125 miles, 2.3 hours.
- Starting with 65% state of charge
- Use 53%
- Arrive at home with 12%
- Put the truck on the Level 2 charger and be ready for work the next morning.
- Total travel time: About 5 hours (remember, you started at lower state of charge so your better efficiency didn’t save you total trip time, just saved money on the return trip).
Note: You don’t have to make the second stop on your way to the trailhead. You could skip it and arrive at the trailhead with about 28%. But then you probably want to stop at the first charger on your way home, and that’s only 30 miles from the trailhead. I’d probably stop on the way out and skip it on the way home.
If you get worse efficiency, it just changes how long your three charging stops are. Worst case, it might add about 10 minutes to each. Your total trip might be 10.5 hours instead of 10 hours.
Again, this is all guesswork without knowing more. What I will say is that I’ve never hesitated to tow across the US Southwest in the middle of summer with AC running.
