With deliveries of the Tesla Model Y picking up in the past week, Tesla fans are left with one looming question about the car – what about the tow hitch? For months before deliveries started, there were rumors that the Model Y would be equipped with a tow hitch, or at least offer the capability to be outfitted with one. Funnily enough, the same confusion occurred when the Model 3 was launched. To this day there remains no way of buying a Model 3 with a tow hitch in all of North America, even though a year ago the option was introduced into the European Market. Will the Model Y face the same fate?
Model Y European Tow Hitch
With the Europe-only Tow Hitch, the Model 3 is rated for towing up to 2,006 lbs. As we’ve mentioned before, the Model Y shares the same powertrain as the Model 3. So we can expect a similar towing capacity. It may be the case that an official Tesla tow hitch option for the Model Y only surfaces in Europe again. We might see the first towing-capable Model Ys rolling off the Berlin Gigafactory’s assembly line around July of 2021, as that’s when the Gigafactory is aiming to begin operations.
After Market Solutions: Bad Idea
Even if towing in the Model Y is technically possible, you might want to think twice before going out and buying one of the after-market solutions that will inevitably soon flood the market. Modifying your car for towing and putting any additional weight on the car could void your warranty.
If you don’t think Tesla would ever find out, I say think again. While we have no evidence that Tesla is able to track the load put on their cars remotely, they have every ability to. Recently, Tesla has started removing Supercharging capabilities from salvage cars, even after they are fixed.
Our Take
If you’re living in a non-European country you may be wondering what I was wondering, why does Tesla provide a tow option for their European cars only? After scouring the internet for information, I’ve come up mostly empty-handed. I have a suspicion it has something to do with EU regulations. There is a similar regulation that prevents retrofitting a tow hitch on to a Model 3 in the EU. Maybe one day Tesla will shed light on their coveted trailer hitches.
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