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I don't think it's as extreme as you're making it seem. Going uphill on mountains means you're going downhill which not only doesn't use power but regenerates p

I don't think it's as extreme as you're making it seem. Going uphill on mountains means you're going downhill which not only doesn't use power but regenerates power to the battery. It's obviously not insignificant of a cost but adding a trailer doesn't immediately halve the usable range.

pitaj 7y ago
> It's obviously not insignificant of a cost but adding a trailer doesn't immediately halve the usable range. It probably would through aerodynamic drag at the same speed but if you're planning on towing you can just drive slower (65 instead of 80) to make up for it.
giarc 7y ago
>Going uphill on mountains means you're going downhill which not only doesn't use power but regenerates power to the battery. If you are pulling a trailer (let's say a camping trailer) you are likely going to stay a few days at a place before returning home and going down those hills you went up.
- bdamm 7y ago
  That's OK. It's not like the potential energy goes away just because you stay overnight. Plus there's a solar panel for all that power you are going to use while making hot toddies in the camper.
  - xwdv 7y ago
    You vastly overestimate solar power. There’s no way you’ll get an appreciable charge on your Tesla battery using solar panels. It’s enough to run things in your trailer, but no way will you charge a Tesla in any reasonable time. I suppose if you are stranded with no way to charge you could get enough to go somewhere after a few days of constant charging, but that’s an emergency situation.
- jsight 7y ago
  I guess, but I've never driven 100 miles up a mountain to stay for a few days.
  - giarc 7y ago
    From Vancouver (sea level) to Whistler is 7000 ft but only 80 miles. I wonder if you could pull a trailer up that height and over that distance.
msla 7y ago
> Going uphill on mountains means you're going downhill Not if the mountain's big enough. You might only go an appreciable distance downhill on the way home.
- dpkonofa 7y ago
  Then that means that you stopped somewhere along the way.
  - xwdv 7y ago
    Have you never been up a mountain? You can go up one very steep portion at 45 degree incline and then come out the other side going on a very long down hill at like 5 degree decline, basically flat.
    - dpkonofa 7y ago
      It doesn't matter. The battery is still regenerating on the way down until you're back at the start point. A less steep angle might even be better because there's no potential to lose energy since the battery can only regen so much at a given time.
      - xwdv 7y ago
        On less steep inclines the car still has to do more work to move it’s wheels at a desired speed, even if gravity helps.
- OnlineGladiator 7y ago
  Barring something like a city decimating earthquake - for every foot you ascend, you must also descend. There is just as much uphill as downhill. This is true for any trip with any two destinations on the planet (a round trip between a beginning and a destination). This is equivalent to conservation of potential energy in physics.
  - 7y ago
rootusrootus 7y ago
My truck goes from 22 mpg to 10 mpg when I hook up my RV. Utility trailers aren't nearly so bad, but an RV trailer is like an open parachute behind you.

pitaj 7y ago

> It's obviously not insignificant of a cost but adding a trailer doesn't immediately halve the usable range. It probably would through aerodynamic drag at the same speed but if you're planning on towing you can just drive slower (65 instead of 80) to make up for it.

giarc 7y ago

>Going uphill on mountains means you're going downhill which not only doesn't use power but regenerates power to the battery. If you are pulling a trailer (let's say a camping trailer) you are likely going to stay a few days at a place before returning home and going down those hills you went up.

bdamm 7y ago
That's OK. It's not like the potential energy goes away just because you stay overnight. Plus there's a solar panel for all that power you are going to use while making hot toddies in the camper.
- xwdv 7y ago
  You vastly overestimate solar power. There’s no way you’ll get an appreciable charge on your Tesla battery using solar panels. It’s enough to run things in your trailer, but no way will you charge a Tesla in any reasonable time. I suppose if you are stranded with no way to charge you could get enough to go somewhere after a few days of constant charging, but that’s an emergency situation.
jsight 7y ago
I guess, but I've never driven 100 miles up a mountain to stay for a few days.
- giarc 7y ago
  From Vancouver (sea level) to Whistler is 7000 ft but only 80 miles. I wonder if you could pull a trailer up that height and over that distance.

msla 7y ago

> Going uphill on mountains means you're going downhill Not if the mountain's big enough. You might only go an appreciable distance downhill on the way home.

dpkonofa 7y ago
Then that means that you stopped somewhere along the way.
- xwdv 7y ago
  Have you never been up a mountain? You can go up one very steep portion at 45 degree incline and then come out the other side going on a very long down hill at like 5 degree decline, basically flat.
  - dpkonofa 7y ago
    It doesn't matter. The battery is still regenerating on the way down until you're back at the start point. A less steep angle might even be better because there's no potential to lose energy since the battery can only regen so much at a given time.
    - xwdv 7y ago
      On less steep inclines the car still has to do more work to move it’s wheels at a desired speed, even if gravity helps.
OnlineGladiator 7y ago
Barring something like a city decimating earthquake - for every foot you ascend, you must also descend. There is just as much uphill as downhill. This is true for any trip with any two destinations on the planet (a round trip between a beginning and a destination). This is equivalent to conservation of potential energy in physics.
- 7y ago

rootusrootus 7y ago

My truck goes from 22 mpg to 10 mpg when I hook up my RV. Utility trailers aren't nearly so bad, but an RV trailer is like an open parachute behind you.