your charging point
What is a battery electric cars?
The innovation in question would be a battery that could be towed so that it could be connected to your electric vehicle to recharge it while you're on the move, thus offering more power to your car.autonomy to your electric car.
This recharging trailer would be towed at the rear of the vehicle, and could be plugged directly into the electrical socket, giving extra range without having to stop to recharge your eco-friendly means of locomotion. To give you an idea, an 85 kWh battery could give you an extra 450 km on top of the range provided by your electric car's battery. That's enough to cover a long distance without stopping, if you have a long journey planned, for example.
The advantages of the battery trailer
This type of solution could have a major impact on the expansion of clean vehicles on the roads.
There are a number of key benefits, including
- To relieve congestion at charging stations and make it easier for users to move around, so that they can charge without having to wait long.
- Double the range of your vehicle
- Travel longer distances without having to stop and wait for your vehicle to be loaded
- Not be forced to buy a car with a longer range, which means cutting costs
- To have an electric vehicle at your disposal that is suitable for city use, but also for long journeys.
The major drawback of this innovation
We're talking here about an external battery that can be towed behind your electric vehicle. But the question here is whether all electric cars can tow. Unfortunately, the answer is no.
Not all electric cars are approved for this purpose, for example city cars, but also compact SUVs.
However, although their electric car does not allow them to do so, some motorists still choose, for example, to place a trailer on a towball designed solely for light accessories.
The practice can be dangerous, prohibited and not covered by insurance. Here is a non-exhaustive list of electric cars approved to tow a trailer:
In short, although a wide range of electric cars allow you to tow something at the rear, many of them are not compatible, which is why you need to find out all you can beforehand.
For more information, see our article on towing an electric car may be of interest to you.
A battery trailer: an opportunity to electrify your company fleet
A number of companies have not taken the plunge into the energy transition. One of the reasons for this is the need to recharge the vehicle regularly. They feel that this can have a direct impact on the productivity of their employees on business trips.
This external battery for electric cars could be useful for companies with high travel requirements or operating in areas where recharging infrastructure is still limited, and is a great step forward in overcoming this problem. Hitching up this battery trailer could therefore help businesses on the green side.
The range extender: the 3 projects behind this innovation
A number of projects have been launched to extend the range of electric vehicles. We will look at 3 of them in this article, which are relatively similar to each other.
EP Tender: French expertise at the service of clean vehicle users
The EP Tender concept
In response to the major reluctance of motorists to use electric cars, EP Tender is offering an extended-range electric car hire service for a daily fee. This solution is ideal for motorists who want to go on holiday without worrying about the charging point failing. This removable back-up battery for short-range electric cars, would increase their range by 300 km. This battery would be towed at the rear of the vehicle like a trailer, with a capacity of 60 kWh.
Affordable electric cars generally have a limited range, which the EP Tender makes up for.
As a result, this project could allow buyers to choose cheaper electric vehicles with shorter ranges, and add the trailer only for occasional road trips when drivers cannot or do not want to stop to recharge. This could be seen as a cheaper alternative to replacing the battery with a larger one.
If you want to find out more, our article on battery replacement for electric cars could help you see things more clearly.
EP Tender's value proposition
This innovation is a real plus:
- Extra range for your vehicle electric 60 kWh of battery are added to your vehicle in just 2 minutes, giving you a range of around 300 km at motorway speed.
- Tender exchange possible A drained Tender can be exchanged for a full Tender in just two minutes!
- A silent, environmentally-friendly innovation The Tenders fleet can be used to generate electricity without noise or emissions, reducing noise and emissions in urban areas and raising awareness of environmental issues.
- From renewable energy Tenders are recharged off-line: this means they use renewable energy and have no impact on the electricity grid infrastructure.
- Delivering services to the electricity network The Tenders fleet is aggregated and provides services to the electricity network.
- Emergency battery for discharged vehicles The Tender can be used as a charging point to help vehicles running out of battery.
Read also: Electric car battery autonomy: where do we stand?
In just a few minutes, drivers will be able to swap their discharged battery for a charged one, reserved in advance on their smartphone. A guidance system for reversing will enable the trailer to hook up automatically to the car.
That said, Jean-Baptiste Segard, the man behind the project, plans to offer self-service hire at motorway entrances or car-sharing areas. The reason? It's too expensive.
The trailer would therefore cost 17 euros per day and 7 euros per hour of operation. The company wants to charge as fairly as possible according to the power used. For example, a user who uses the trailer at very high power for the entire rental period would be charged more than someone who uses it in economy mode.
Mobat.Me: the prototype designed by the German start-up
The Mobat.Me concept
This time we have a start-up from Germany, BVB-Innovate, which has developed a prototype electric trailer capable of carrying between 40 and 85 kWh of batteries.
This lithium-ion trailer battery could both charge an electric vehicle on the move and act as a mobile charging point. According to its managing engineer Manfred Baumgärtner, it will be able to add 500 km of range while charging in just a few minutes.
These trailers can be recharged at any electrical socket, according to their designer.
They will be available in two versions:
- a 50 kW "mobile rapid charger" version
- a range-extender version that can recharge during the journey, requiring a special kit to be fitted to the vehicle.
- An optional function will also supply alternating current.
Mobat.Me's value proposition
There are 3 versions of this project available:
- 40 kWh
- 60 kWh
- 85 kWh
BVB-Innovate adapts to the needs and budget of each electrical user.
What's more, these electric recharging trailers could be used as emergency generators, or as a source of electricity when camping or on building sites. So they could be of interest to a wider audience than just electric vehicle owners.
The purchase price is estimated at 19,000 euros for the 40 kWh version and 29,000 euros for the 85 kWh version.
Colorado Teardrops: American company offering a range-extending caravan
The Colorado Teardrops concept
More imposing than a small battery trailer, the American company Colorado Teardrops, known for its teardrop-shaped caravans, has announced that it is to introduce two new models to its range. They will be equipped respectively with a 19 kWh battery in one case and 38 kWh in the other. This would be the first caravan designed to extend the range of electric cars.
In fact, the model equipped with a 38 kWh can power a house It can be charged during off-peak hours and return electricity during peak hours. It can be charged during off-peak hours and release electricity during peak hours. It can also store electricity generated by solar panels for later use.
The value proposition
This caravan is equipped with a battery that allows owners of electric vehicles to travel long distances without having to stop frequently to recharge, even with a large caravan attached to their hitch. This innovation opens up new possibilities for families who want to go camping with a zero-emission car.
Electric cars towing a trailer consume more energy and inevitably reduce their range. As well as being used for camping, Colorado Teardrops caravans can also be used as back-up batteries at home.
Summary table of the 3 external battery projects
| Project | Company | Concept | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP Tender | EP Tender (France) | Removable battery trailer | - 60 kWh capacity - Additional range of 300 km - Exchange in 2 minutes - Self-service hire - Price: €17/day + €7/hour of use |
| Mobat.Me | BVB-Innovate (Germany) | Battery trailer | - Capacities of 40, 60 or 85 kWh - Additional range of up to 500 km - Two versions: mobile rapid charger (50 kW) and range extender - Price: €19,000 (40 kWh) to €29,000 (85 kWh) |
| Colorado Teardrops | Colorado Teardrops (United States) | Caravan with built-in battery | - 19 or 38 kWh capacity - Can power a house in the event of a power cut - Can be used as a home battery backup - Designed for camping |
What is the status of these various pilot projects?
At the moment, electric vehicles cannot be recharged while driving. The concept of a range-extending battery that can be towed is interesting and innovative, but probably utopian.
Fast charging has come a long way since the various projects were first proposed. That said, the idea remains an ingenious strategy for making long electric vehicle journeys practical and quick.
What's more, with the development of the electric vehicle market, electric vehicles now offer greater range. On the other hand, recharging infrastructures have been improved and are now deployed throughout France, making this type of product less necessary.
To illustrate this, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers a range of over 600 km, making it possible to drive from Paris to Bordeaux in one go. Our electric car expert also had the opportunity to test drive the new electric saloon, and the video is available here:
What can we conclude from this?
A multitude of projects in favour of electric mobility have been launched in recent years, which is very encouraging for the democratisation of clean mobility. However, given the efforts made by the government, manufacturers and innovations in recharging solutions, an external battery for electric cars may not appeal to public opinion.
This is why the projects mentioned throughout this article have not come to fruition. Despite this, we are optimistic that green mobility will become widespread, as more and more entrepreneurs with innovative ideas want to help reduce CO2 emissions from transport.
If you would like to find out more aboutsupport for the installation of charging points for businesses in 2024For more information, see our article on this subject.
