Towing a Tesla.

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If you add a current to an electrical motor it will provide physical force. If you apply a physical Force onto an electrical motor it will become a generator. So what happens if you need to tow a Tesla? Could it potentially damage the batteries due to over charging?

In: Engineering

5 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

You cannot tow a Tesla the traditional way for exactly this reason. Flatbed or using dollies. Plus, you have to use Tow mode which disengages the electric parking brake to get it up on the flatbed.
Towing with wheels on the ground will invalidate your warranty.

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/roadside_assistance_extract.pdf

Anonymous 0 Comments

I think Teslas use a regenerative brakes, basically when brakes are applied there is a assembly that will act as a generator and recharge the battery though its not 100% efficient.

Towing the car would not cause that issue. Because simply put

Battery —-> Motor —–> Movement

Battery <—- Motor <—- movement (Not possible)

Battery —–>Generator —->movement (Not possible)

Battery <—–Generator <—–Movement

A generator converts mechanical to electrical based on the build normally brushes creating a magnetic field yada yada yada.

A motor converts the electrical into mechanical energy. A motor cannot act as a generator.

Anonymous 0 Comments

it can’t overcharge because the charge controller will limit the amount of charging. if the battery pack is full, the controller just won’t have the motor regenerate any more.

yes you can charge it by towing

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaGVoB4Zn-Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaGVoB4Zn-Y)

Anonymous 0 Comments

You can actually do it. I own a Tesla and have done it. I hooked up a tow rope and had someone pull me with a pickup truck down the interstate for about 200 miles. It recharged the whole way. From the perspective of the car it just thought it was going downhill. No difference than going down a long mountain. It will regen the whole way.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Nope, you can put it into neutral so it doesn’t charge (the motors won’t feed power to the battery, and that’s automatic I’d the batteries are full). Also the batteries won’t charge that way anyways if the car is on (needs to be on to regen)