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Polydrops P19 Shorty Is an Affordable Teardrop Trailer That Makes a Towing EV Go Further

Polydrops has made a name for itself as a designer of highly aerodynamic trailers. Their latest product, the P19 Shorty, is said to be so advanced in this regard that it can boost an EV’s range when towing it.
Polydrops P19 Shorty 15 photos
Photo: Polydrops
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If you ever saw a weirdly shaped teardrop trailer, it was probably built by Polydrops. The Los Angeles-based manufacturer is known for its bizarre-looking products, specifically optimized for towing with an electric vehicle. Common sense and past experiments have shown that towing a trailer cuts an electric vehicle’s range in half. Polydrops, on the other hand, has optimized the shape of its trailers to have very little drag.

The side effect of this aerodynamic optimization is the nerdy looks of their products. Perhaps people are already familiar with the Polydrops P17A1. Its unusual shape helps a towing electric vehicle to keep its advertised range almost unaltered when towing at speeds below 55 mph (88 kph). When going 65 mph (105 kph), a Hyundai Ioniq 5 would lose 15% of the range. This is still an impressive feat, considering that most EV owners experience a range loss of almost 50% when towing a normal-looking teardrop trailer, even at 55 mph.

While the P17A1 is a wonderful piece of engineering, Polydrops wanted to offer more for less. Their latest product, the P19 Shorty, achieves better aerodynamics and costs a third of the P17A1. Of course, it doesn’t come with an off-grid-ready electrical system consisting of a 4.8-kWh LFP battery and up to 520-watt solar panels. Nor does it have a fully-equipped kitchen, but for $9,950, we’ll excuse the shortcomings.

Polydrops P19 Shorty
Photo: Polydrops
The P19 Shorty is actually based on the P17 chassis, but it was simplified to reduce costs and make it easier to build. The shape has also improved, with curvier surfaces that help reduce drag even more. The design has been optimized through hundreds of simulations through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The result is a trailer that could theoretically improve the range of an electric vehicle when maintaining the California towing speed limit of 55 mph.

Polydrops set up a test to prove it can be done, using a Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD to tow the P19 Shorty. The team tested the trailer during a 28.5-mile round trip (46 km) and averaged an energy consumption of 3.6 mi/kWh (around 17 kWh/100 km). This means that an Ioniq 5 can travel 277 miles (446 km) on a charge while towing the P19 Shorty at 55 mp, compared to the official EPA range of 256 miles (412 km).

Of course, the EPA range is calculated for diverse conditions, whereas the P19 Shorty here traveled at a constant speed of 55 mph. According to Polydrops CFD simulations, attaching the trailer to the Ioniq 5 leads to a 15-percent drag increase. Even so, it is impressive and will only come into effect at higher speeds. If the driver is keeping it under the 55-mph limit, there should be hardly any loss of efficiency when traveling with a P19 trailer.

Polydrops P19 Shorty
Photo: Polydrops
Since we already know what the shell design can do, it’s worth going under the skin of the aluminum boxed frame of the P19 Shorty. Thanks to the axle-less independent suspension design, it can travel both on- and off-road. It weighs only 640 pounds (290 kg), so it not only can be towed with ease, but you can also drag it around with bare hands.

With its thick, 2-inch seamless rigid insulation, and the reflective aluminum body, the P19 Shorty is built like a passive house, keeping the temperature inside within reasonable limits all year round. There are four windows equipped with bug screens and insolated covers to help with the thermal insulation.

The sleeping room offers enough space for two people and a pet on a three-fold mattress. The room is complemented by a convertible table and three cubbyholes for storage and provides 110-volt plugs. These can be powered via the EV’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature, but Polydrops is also working on an off-grid solution to be offered later.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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