Can I tow a caravan with a hybrid car?

If you need your next car to be suitable for towing trailers or caravans regularly you don’t need to worry about switching to a hybrid power. There are now plenty of hybrid and plug-in hybrid tow car options available to you but not all hybrid cars are well suited to towing, so we've put together this guide to help answer any questions you might have about hybrid cars and their towing abilities.

Hybrid cars feature electric motors which are known for the strong torque that they can produce, so in one respect this boost in pulling power makes hybrids well suited to towing. Depending on how they are used, hybrids can be cheaper to run than combustion alternatives as well.

There are, however, some hybrids that aren't rated to tow heavy trailers and even some that aren’t able to tow anything at all, such as the Toyota Camry and Lexus LS 500h. These are mainly self-charging hybrid models. This is partly due to the fact that all vehicles must be approved to tow trailers, and some brands don't go through this process, even if their hybrid cars are on paper up to the job of towing. 

Read on to find out more about towing with hybrid cars and check out our electric car towing guide if you’re thinking of switching to a full EV tow car. Be sure to follow us at DrivingElectric on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to be kept in the loop with the latest news and reviews from the world of hybrid and electric cars.

Can plug-in hybrids be used for towing?

Most hybrid vehicles are rated for towing at some level. Some plug-in hybrids come with impressive towing numbers, such as the Volvo XC60 Recharge T8 that has a 2,250kg braked trailer limit, going all the way up to 3,500kg for the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. Smaller models like the Kia Niro PHEV can tow up to 1,300kg, while the Land Rover Defender P400e is rated at 3,000kg.

There are plenty of other plug-in hybrid options that have decent towing capacities too, such as the Range Rover PHEV, which can tow a maximum of 3,000kg and BMW X5 hybrid that manages a maximum towing weight of 2,700kg.

Many non-plug-in hybrid cars are also certified for towing. The Lexus RX 450h has a capacity of up to 2,000kg, for example, while the self charging Kia Sorento Hybrid can manage up to 1,100kg slightly more than the Sorento PHEV’s 1,010kg. Similar to the Kia, the Toyota RAV4 can haul 1,650kg in all-wheel-drive hybrid form, while the plug-in version of the same car has a lower towing limit of 1,500kg.

Why aren’t you able to tow with some hybrids?

The main reason you can’t tow with some hybrid cars is because of something called 'vehicle type approval' and is carried out by the Vehicle Certification Agency. This is the safety certification process that carmakers go through with new models, and many manufacturers decide not to have these models certified for towing safely.

One reason manufacturers don’t have this carried out is weight, which represents a large part of the approval process for towing. The addition of batteries on board means that these models tend to be heavier overall than their purely combustion counterparts, and when it's time to add the additional weight of a caravan or trailer then it could require stronger brakes on the car. That would increase the cost of manufacturing the vehicle and since most drivers don’t tow with their cars, manufacturers don’t see the value in doing this.

There’s also the matter of regenerative braking, a system that most hybrids use. This is calibrated to the braking force needed to slow down just the vehicle itself, so any extra braking force that is needed as a result of a caravan or trailer being attached might complicate things for the electronics. It could even potentially cause damage to the regenerative braking system and electric motor. This isn't an impossible problem for manufacturers to overcome but it explains the added complexity of getting electrified cars approved for towing.

Can hybrid cars be towed?

Simply put, yes, most hybrids can be towed but with caution. As hybrids have a neutral gear most can be towed away with wheels in contact with the ground, but make sure to always check the vehicle handbook as there are a few models where you can cause damage to the electric motors if you tow them away with the wheels on the ground. If you're unsure, make sure your breakdown provider uses a flat-bed to take your vehicle away. 

Any other useful information regarding towing with a hybrid car?

The main thing to remember is to make sure you do your research before committing to buying a hybrid with towing in mind. We would always advise that you select a vehicle with a higher towing capacity than you need to make sure that you have complete control over whatever you are towing. Remember that any aftermarket tow bar you have fitted to your car must be type approved for that kind of vehicle. 

Car to trailer weight ratio

Another thing to bear in mind is that you should never tow anything that weighs more than the car you are using to tow. This can end up in a dangerous situation in the wrong conditions and could end up with the heavy trailer pulling your car sideways in high winds or your car struggling to stop with the extra weight. While you can’t be prosecuted for doing this, we would strongly advise to never to tow a trailer that is more that 85 per cent of your car’s kerb weight. 

Driving licences for towing

Make sure you hold the correct driving licence that allows you to tow with your vehicle. Anyone who passed their driving test before the 1st January 1997 is allowed to drive a vehicle towing a trailer or caravan with a combined vehicle and trailer weight of 8,250kg maximum authorised mass (MAM). If you passed your driving test after 1st January 1997, drivers face tighter restrictions and only allow these drivers to tow a combined 3,500kg MAM without needing to undertake further driving tests. 

Trailer weight limits

When towing a trailer make sure to adhere to the maximum weight that the trailer can carry. Overloading a trailer could cause dangerous damage when driving and put you in significant risk of an accident and risking the safety of not only yourself, but any passengers you may be carrying and other road users. These maximum weights are not guidelines, but restrictions put into place for your safety and those around you.