Is Zero Range Loss For EV Trucks Possible? 

I thought the same, but it turns out that they're not too much more than comparable traditional rvs. Still, $100K+ is NOT cheap. I got a good laugh out of your environment comment! LMAO! Thank you so much for the encouraging feedback and support! It means everything to a little channel like mine.

Going slower does improve mileage quite a bit. I’ve been told most RV people don’t travel more than 200-300 miles per day on travel days, so all four of the EV trailers I know about could recharge overnight at a campground, or charge by solar when Boondocking. They would add some energy from solar while traveling, but if towed by a gas/diesel rig, they would get some power from the seven pin connector. I haven’t become an RV person yet and am used to doing 900-1000 mile travel days, but now that I don’t have to rush back to work it’s possible I would take longer to travel. My travel trailer is pretty small and lightweight but I haven’t connected it to my EV yet. However my gas SUV has a tiny gas tank and any of these trailers would also extend it’s range if I could afford them

All excellent considerations. The trailer can still be towed, of course, even if it is out of 'juice' but then begins to more heavily impact the range of the truck. The system is only designed to engage when there is a higher draw on the truck load. So, if doing level highway, etc. many of the scenarios might boost the range of the rv/trailer batteries over the est. range numbers. Your comments are 100% accurate though if one is doing over 500 miles one-way frequently. The good news is that these companies are doing what you are suggesting - lowering the weight and drag, aerodynamic enclosures, etc - AND having the added bonus of the assist configuration. Even with the battery pack and motors, if you go to their respective websites, you'll see that based on dimensions, they are comparable in weight to traditional rvs of the same lengths. That's some impressive engineering. As Ken points out below, few rv enthusiasts are going further than 300 miles in a trip (one way), which means by the time one is ready to turn around, the batteries could have partially recharged themselves in addition to powering the rv for the stay period. I think one of the most important points that you raise is these charging companies not learning from over a century of gas station design and failing to provide pull-through stations so a truck/trailer configuration can charge in tandem - and without having to unhitch. Charge speeds will also play a big role moving forward. Thank you for the great comment!

Thank you, Tyler! I thought you might like it :-). I think this video kind of touches on your point last time about hybrids, just in a novel way for towing applications. I am still considering a video on hybrids at some point also. I agree 100% that this helps get us there, even if the tech is new.

I hope so too. I really appreciate the support, Peter! Keep in touch!

As a Lightning owner, and frustrated on rare occasion with the lack of drive-through DC chargers for trucks with trailers, having the trailer detect when my truck is under load - either from uphill or when accelerating - and kicking in the its motor and saving me range loss is a game changer, but yeah, the key things you mention without the added cost and things that can go wrong would be pretty sweet to see added as well. Thank you for you insight and comment, and for supporting the channel!

I had no idea. I'm going to dig into this. Thank you so much for the insight, Wes!

Exactly! Horse trailers would make so much sense! And , of course we wouldn't want to get too crazy with efficiency and cut in on those poor, struggling manufacturers and their sparse billions of quarterly stipends... :-) Thanks for the comment!

What an excellent point. I think it could, but tongue weight and load on suspension, etc. plays into it all, so I'm not sure how it would be treated. Great food for thought. Thank you for the feedback and comment, Tara!

Thanks for the comment! The power assist is there to boost range, not add power directly, and only kicks in when added range loss is experienced by the truck. Going uphill, my Lightning loses a huge amount of its battery range, or if I'm towing, but if the trailer is under its own power and activates when increased torque is detected, basically one's range doesn't fall. That's a game changer for me for long-distance towing trips, especially with drive-through DC chargers not yet being available.

Exactly! Well said, Paul.

Yes, they are. It's a valid insight, but at the same time, anything that powers anything with locomotion has associated weight. The good news is that battery density has increased by almost 90% in the past decade, while costs have dropped by about the same percentage in the same time. This means we're seeing far less batteries required for the same storage, making self-powered-power-assisted trailers very viable.

I don't think so. It seems it should in the future.

Great point, and something I've been begging for since I got my Lightning! It doesn't look like anyone has done it - yet. In my charging rant video, I spoke of the need fro an EV truck 'tidy tank' but I haven't seen an aftermarket one, I think due to the manufacturers not providing an auxiliary access to the charging point. It's poor forward thinking on their part. However, Tesla is offering a range extender pack for the box of their beast, but it hasn't come to market yet. That will have to be hooked up directly somehow, but I'm thinking Tesla plans to do it at factory. Thanks for the awesome comment!

I’ve seen the powered fifth wheels on other RU-vid channels and they look very nice. The one thing I didn’t catch you talking about is the cost. Maybe you mentioned it, but it seems like the elephant in the room. I’d think for these to have a market you’d need some very wealthy folks who want to tow a large trailer and really want to use an electric truck. How many folks are there who fit that category? The other issue is charging your truck with a trailer attached or having to detach it and then charge it. Probably easier with a trailer that can help with the process of hitching up, but still a hassle. Seems to me that for the vast majority of folks who want to tow a large trailer it’s going to be a gas or diesel truck for quite a while. The Ramcharger might be a less expensive way of achieving this if it works well enough meaning if it can keep its self charged while towing, and be reliable. I guess I always land back on the fact that most people are not going to tow long distances , so this isn’t really a big problem. I enjoy your videos, thanks.

All great points! The biggest takeaway from your post - and I hope the auto execs read your comment - is the pull-through charging dilemma. Why in the world didn't these engineers realize that there is a practical reason for traditional gas station designs? As far as price? Seems that for equivalent features, these things will be close to in line with comparable traditional rvs, which have rocketed in price while adding few justifications for their increase, so it's actually a pretty good time to disrupt the industry. Finger crossed!

Excellent points, and a strong argument for series hybrids. Thanks for contributing some powerful insight to the discussion!

Also, what do you think about both? Yes. for average folk, these things are too high of a cost, but no more so than traditional rv trailers, since many are overpriced toys anyway? I am likely like you: a working truck guy, and can't afford these luxuries. But being that this tech can work on both series hybrids and evs, what are your thoughts on developing it in TANDEM with your suggestions? Love the comments! Keep 'em comin'!

@@truckedupevs I think we also need to consider size to the equation. Yes many 5th wheels and large rv's are very expensive, but they're huge and they have slideouts. Meanwhile these trailers will likely weigh almost as much as those while being much smaller, and thet don't seem to have slide-out, making the inside smaller. The large battery makes for a very peaceful camping experience and has its own benifits. But if you want a large trailer, you're still gonna be making compromises in aero and weight for efficiency. When it comes to working in tandem, I think this is honestly fantastic. When it comes to the concept of the ram charger, you get 700 miles of range on a tank. If these trailers don't take any range loss, that's absolutely incredible efficiency that is unparalleled. towing with a series hybrid system would have all the benifits of gas, with all the benifits of ev for towing. Honestly I think for now, this would be the future of the trucking industry until battery tech can compete. Specifically utilizing synthetic fuels which are already being made. And they can use gasoline instead of diesel which would save on particulate emissions.

Well said!

Thanks for the comment. Yes, those numbers are close - more like 6 gallons based on wh/kg - but yeah. Even with all the efficiencies with battery density, way better use of the energy provided, and hvac management, I don't think EV trucks will match ICE trucks for some years, especially when towing. But the use of these trailers will at least get the EV trucks to stay equal to their average range when not towing. If charging co.s ever get their act together and install pull-through charging stations, that would get rid of a lot of the headache.