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Tow Car Drivers Urged To Seek Support For Transitioning To Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) have made strides in the automotive world, yet tow car drivers face challenges in this transition. The What Car? Tow Car Awards 2025 highlighted this issue, with two EVs winning awards. However, towing long distances with EVs remains difficult due to infrastructure limitations. The Skoda Kodiaq diesel emerged as the overall winner among 36 tested cars, including 10 EVs.
What Car? and the Camping & Caravanning Club stress the need for better infrastructure to support caravanners and other tow car users. Despite nearly 80,000 chargers across the UK, few are designed for vehicles with trailers attached. This lack of pull-through bays forces drivers to unhitch trailers at most motorway services, posing security risks.
Steve Huntingford from What Car? warns that tow car drivers might be overlooked in the shift to electrification. He states, "The best electric cars are stable and can pull caravans and trailers with ease, but not enough is being done to make switching to an EV a smooth and enjoyable experience for those who tow." The call is for more pull-through charging bays at service stations.
The awards showcased the Skoda Elroq and Kia EV9 as top-performing electric cars. The Skoda Elroq was recognised for its towing capacity of up to 1200kg, while the Kia EV9 excelled with a capacity exceeding 1200kg. These models demonstrate that electric cars can be effective tow vehicles when infrastructure supports them.
Rob Ganley from the Camping and Caravanning Club emphasises that improved infrastructure benefits more than just caravanners. "Better infrastructure for EV-driving owners of horseboxes, boats, and all kinds of trailers is needed," he notes. This highlights a broader need for facilities accommodating various trailer types.
The full list of winners includes several categories based on towing capacity. For instance, the Nissan Qashqai DiG-T MHEV 158 N-Connecta won in the up to 1549kg category, while the BMW X5 xDrive 50e M Sport topped the over 2000kg category. Each winner was selected after rigorous testing involving speed handling, hill starts, and emergency stops.
Awards Highlight Top Performers
The Skoda Kodiaq diesel was named Tow Car of the Year 2025 due to its versatility and performance across various tests. Steve Huntingford praised it by saying, "Every one of this year’s award winners is a very fine car, but none can claim a more complete range of talents than the brilliant Skoda Kodiaq."
What Car? has been guiding UK car buyers for over five decades through its comprehensive reviews and advice on new vehicles. It reaches millions monthly through its magazine, website, and social media channels. Similarly, the Camping & Caravanning Club offers extensive camping resources and discounts to its members across numerous sites.
The push for better charging infrastructure aims to ensure that tow car drivers are not left behind as electrification progresses. By addressing these needs, both organisations hope to make towing with electric vehicles more practical and secure.
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