Photo: Tesla
People who were expecting the new Model Y to tow a trailer were left high and dry by Tesla. The American EV maker did not foresee the new 12-volt Li-Ion battery would not be able to provide auxiliary power for the trailer. This capability will come later this year as a retrofit adapter for those who need it. Luckily, the trailer lights/brakes are not impacted.
Tesla refreshed its bread-and-butter Model 3/Y range for the new year, and among many features that caught our attention we learned the new cars use a Li-Ion low-voltage battery instead of the tried and trusted lead-acid 12-volt battery. This was already in production for the bigger Model S/X range, so there wasn’t much of a surprise here.
The Li-Ion battery comes with tangible benefits like being a lot lighter and more compact than the lead-acid counterpart. It was also supposed to last longer, so you see how this change was a good one. Well, not for everybody, as it seems. The new battery appears to break the auxiliary power for the cars equipped with a tow hitch, meaning you can tow a trailer, but you won’t be able to power it from the car’s electric system.
“Our new Li-Ion low voltage battery requires a new power conversion adapter to be compatible with 12-volt trailer power. Once this adapter is available in mid-2022, customers will be able to retrofit their vehicles to re-supply 12V power to their trailers if they desire,” reads an internal Tesla memo shared on Drive Tesla Canada.
While the problem does not prevent the Model Y from towing a trailer, this kind of ruins all the fun for those who want to camp in the trailer. Remember how electric cars can be used as giant power banks in an off-grid adventure, this being one of their unique selling points. Well, not the upgraded Tesla Model Y, at least for now. Instead, you will have to carry another power source, like a power generator or a solar panel system.
The Li-Ion battery comes with tangible benefits like being a lot lighter and more compact than the lead-acid counterpart. It was also supposed to last longer, so you see how this change was a good one. Well, not for everybody, as it seems. The new battery appears to break the auxiliary power for the cars equipped with a tow hitch, meaning you can tow a trailer, but you won’t be able to power it from the car’s electric system.
“Our new Li-Ion low voltage battery requires a new power conversion adapter to be compatible with 12-volt trailer power. Once this adapter is available in mid-2022, customers will be able to retrofit their vehicles to re-supply 12V power to their trailers if they desire,” reads an internal Tesla memo shared on Drive Tesla Canada.
While the problem does not prevent the Model Y from towing a trailer, this kind of ruins all the fun for those who want to camp in the trailer. Remember how electric cars can be used as giant power banks in an off-grid adventure, this being one of their unique selling points. Well, not the upgraded Tesla Model Y, at least for now. Instead, you will have to carry another power source, like a power generator or a solar panel system.
BREAKING: Tesla's made several changes to the Model 3/Y that were highlighted in a new internal post. Some of these were previously reported. These changes apply to both Fremont & Shanghai built 3/Y models, & will be phased into new regions. Transition completed by Q2 2022.
Trailer Auxiliary (tow hitch enabled vehicles): It's been disabled. New 12 LV Li-ion battery requires a new power conversion adapter to be compatible with 12-volt trailer power. Adapter will be available in Mid-2022 & owners can retrofit then. Trailer lights/brakes not impacted.
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 7, 2022
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