Tesla Model 3, Model Y Thule Easyfold XT

[MMSS]

I have a Thule Easyfold XT - great bit of kit. I'm about to change my car and looking at a Tesla Model 3 or model Y. Has anyone fitted a Thule Easyfold to the model 3 or model y factory fitted tow bar? I've searched all over and not found adefinitive answer. I am a little concerned about clearance between the tow hitch and the bumber. I'm UK based so UK / European answers requested thanks. TIA (Photos appreciated

 

[steve_sordy]

I'm sure you have thought about the impact of a bike on a towbar rack upon your range. I don't know what it will do on a Tesla, but on two different petrol-powered cars, it knocked off 10mpg!
(Audi A5 and a Volvo S60, both with 225bhp engines).

It is not a percentage thing, because it will take the same amount of power to force a bike and rack through the air at 70mph irrespective of what saloon car it is mounted upon. But for illustration, it was approx 25% for me on both cars.

 

[Funkeydunk]

Works a treat, minimal impact on range

 

[Mcharza]

The Germans had tested (of course), the bike in the tow bar rack -15%
And with an electric car, of course it also depends on the aerodynamics of the car.

 

[MMSS]

Works a treat, minimal impact on range

View attachment 100595 View attachment 100596

thankyou

 

[steve_sordy]

@Funkeydunk "minimal impact on range" that is impressive. What cruising speed do you adopt when carrying the bike on the rack? I cruise at the same speed as I do when the rack is not fitted, ie 70mph according to my TomTom sat nav, which is 73mph on the Volvo speedo and 74mph on the Audi speedo.

 

[MMSS]

I'm sure you have thought about the impact of a bike on a towbar rack upon your range. I don't know what it will do on a Tesla, but on two different petrol-powered cars, it knocked off 10mpg!
(Audi A5 and a Volvo S60, both with 225bhp engines).

It is not a percentage thing, because it will take the same amount of power to force a bike and rack through the air at 70mph irrespective of what saloon car it is mounted upon. But for illustration, it was approx 25% for me on both cars.

yes - understood and probably mostly to be used relatively locally. ty

 

[MMSS]

Works a treat, minimal impact on range

View attachment 100595 View attachment 100596

thats great thanks for the photos. Assume it would be similar on a model y.....

 

[Funkeydunk]

@Funkeydunk "minimal impact on range" that is impressive. What cruising speed do you adopt when carrying the bike on the rack? I cruise at the same speed as I do when the rack is not fitted, ie 70mph according to my TomTom sat nav, which is 73mph on the Volvo speedo and 74mph on the Audi speedo.

I’m usually driving Miss daisy at circa 60 ish, I don’t do very long journeys with the bike attached, and if I did I wouldn’t care about range. The model three does over 350/tank so if I drop some range due to the rack ill not be worried, just plug it in when I get home and it’s costs £3 to charge.

 

[Mcharza]

We drove Tesla Y for approx. 1000 km and two bikes on the roof. Electricity consumption 21-22 kWh which is normally 16-18 kWh.
Normal speed 80 or 100 km/h, the terrain was fairly flat.

 

[steve_sordy]

We drove Tesla Y for approx. 1000 km and two bikes on the rack. Electricity consumption 21-22 kWh which is normally 16-18 kWh.
Normal speed 80 or 100 km/h, the terrain was fairly flat

Thanks for that info, the first I have seen for an electric car. Your figures seem to indicate that your energy consumption is on average 26% more when you have the bikes on the roof, even only doing 80-100kph (50-60mph). I would discount the flat terrain because you get the gravity boost when descending (regenerative braking). It didn't seem to affect my fuel consumption whether I was driving on the flat or on hilly terrain, as long as I ended up at the same altitude at journey's end. I believe that the main component is the resistance from dragging the bikes through the air at speed (proportional to the square of the speed). Consequently, I know that I will have better fuel consumption at a slower speed, always did, always will, but I want to get where I'm going asap without being done for speeding.

On my petrol-engined cars, the extra weight of the rack and the bike(s) needs to be accelerated but without any compensation when braking. I guess that your EV will deliver a good proportion of the braking energy back to the battery. But you still have similar losses to me despite your slower speed and regenerative braking.

May I make the assumption that using 26% more energy will reduce your range by the same amount? (Seems likely to me).

I wonder what the caravan industry will do to meet the EV challenge? Maybe separate batteries built into the caravans that feed power to the car?

 

[steve_sordy]

I’m usually driving Miss daisy at circa 60 ish, I don’t do very long journeys with the bike attached, and if I did I wouldn’t care about range. The model three does over 350/tank so if I drop some range due to the rack ill not be worried, just plug it in when I get home and it’s costs £3 to charge.

Yep, short journeys are a dream for EV owners. The longer journeys, not so much. It is the undeveloped charging network that is putting me right off. I have recently driven from the middle of England to the south of France. It took me two days (on the speed limit at all times), and then after two weeks holiday I drove back. That was about 1900 miles (3040km). There did seem to be more charging points in France than I see in the UK, but I have no idea what type of charging points they were, fast, slow, type of connection, or what cost. Most were in use at the time I arrived and still were when I left.

 

[MMSS]

I've been driving from north of London to the alps for many years - about £650 miles eadh way. Until recently in a volvo xc90 diesel. This year we've done the same trip 3 times in a tesla M3. Charging on the motorways at Tesla superchargers is a dream - very fast - about 30 mins to get to 80%+ and loads of Tesla superchargers. There are fast charging point superchargers at eurotunnel. Overall journey time adds about 2 hours if you take it easy I would say. We found it very relaxing using a lot of autopilot and just made sure to plan breaks around charging - so if we stopped for a night on the way back, we would have breakfast while charging instead of at the hotel. We even found a hotel in Reims next to a Tesla supercharger. Once in the alps and off the motorway network, there were slow chargers around. Overal cost to get there and back vs Big old XC90 was several hundred pounds cheaper. Didn't take bike rack though.

 

[Mcharza]

Thanks for that info, the first I have seen for an electric car. Your figures seem to indicate that your energy consumption is on average 26% more when you have the bike on the back, even only doing 80-100kph (50-60mph). I would discount the flat terrain because you get the gravity boost when descending (regenerative braking). It didn't seem to affect my fuel consumption whether I was driving on the flat or on hilly terrain, as long as I ended up at the same altitude at journey's end. I believe that the main component is the resistance from dragging the bikes through the air at speed (proportional to the square of the speed). Consequently, I know that I will have better fuel consumption at a slower speed, always did, always will, but I want to get where I'm going asap without being done for speeding.

On my petrol-engined cars, the extra weight of the rack and the bike(s) needs to be accelerated but without any compensation when braking. I guess that your EV will deliver a good proportion of the braking energy back to the battery. But you still have similar losses to me despite your slower speed and regenerative braking.

May I make the assumption that using 26% more energy will reduce your range by the same amount? (Seems likely to me).

I wonder what the caravan industry will do to meet the EV challenge? Maybe separate batteries built into the caravans that feed power to the car?

Sorry but I have to correct my writing.
On that trip, the bikes were on the roof, which verifies the high growth in consumption.
I will change my writing.

 

[SwampNut]

I’m in the US and the Tesla charging network covers nearly every highway. It’s hard to find a destination you can’t go to.

I just received a trailer hitch kit from e-trailer and a 1-up bike ride. The installation promises to be a real bitch, and looks like three hours with two people. A friend has the 1-up rack and we like it a lot. Very solid, very quick on/off.