This creates additional power consumption for a bicycle rack or trailer
The Dutch are considered enthusiastic cyclists and caravan towrs, but the German ADAC did not investigate the additional electricity costs of driving an electric car and a bicycle rack or trailer specifically for the neighboring country. It is clear that the power consumption is higher. The question is, how much higher?
Towing a trailer with any car always results in higher fuel consumption. A difference can be measured as soon as you drive around with the window open. Or with an open pop-up roof. Even a red handkerchief on the exterior mirror has an impact on a car’s fuel consumption. In the latter case, the air flow is interrupted, as is the case with open windows and a tilting roof. The weight of bike racks and trailers is higher. The motor has to move a higher mass and that costs energy. Yes, even if there are five people in the car, you will notice that the power consumption increases and the range decreases.
Kia EV6 GT as a test vehicle
The ADAC used a Kia EV6 GT as a test vehicle. First, the men and women of the car club determined a fuel consumption figure using a naked car. At a speed of 120 km/h, the test team achieved 20.6 kWh. The same test route was then driven on with roof accessories. An unused roof rack increased energy consumption by 5%.
With a roof box placed on the roof racks, consumption was 14% higher. With two bikes on the roof rack, consumption increased by 33%. The test driver achieved a consumption of 27.45 kWh for the Kia EV6 GT. The men and women also did the test with a bike rack on their backs. Then consumption increased by 8%.
Trailer
When driving with a trailer, the additional consumption is significantly higher. An unbraked semi-trailer only causes one percent additional electricity consumption. A semi-trailer with a body increases consumption by a whopping 24% to 103% for a caravan. Speed is a crucial factor. “If you double the speed, the resistance is four times as great. The comparison tests with the caravan show this impressively. At a speed of 80 km/h the additional consumption is 54 percent, at 90 km/h 79 percent and at 120 km/h 103 percent,” says the ADAC.
The differences between a bike rack and a trailer can vary in practice, but depending on the vehicle. The ADAC drove 280 km with one person in the car and with a load. In addition, the test route ran over various streets, city, country and motorways.