It’s a well-known fact that electric trucks and SUVs lose half of their range (or more) when towing. Of course, ICE vehicles also see reduced range when towing. But combustion engines burn the majority of their stored chemical energy into waste heat, so the relative decrease in range for ICE trucks is not as great as it is for an EV when towing.
Pebble is a company that aims to help EV towing by designing and building their travel trailer with EV features from the ground up. The Flow trailer from Pebble is unapologetically high-end with loads of technology, premium appliances, attractive design, and a unique energy storage & propulsion system.
The main problem with increasing the battery capacity (and range) of an EV is volume and weight because batteries are much less energy-dense than gasoline. And if it takes more energy to tow a trailer, why not use the footprint of the trailer for additional batteries and propulsion?
The Pebble Flow has an onboard high-voltage battery with 45 kWh capacity and two electric motors. That much energy storage is enough to back up a large home or to power off-grid living in the Pebble Flow for a whole week. The trailer can be charged over L1 and L2 over J1772, 1 kW of solar on the roof, and even DC fast-charged over CCS. In addition, there is a NEMA 14-50 outlet behind the charging door for L2 output to an EV charger or house backup power.
Having this much energy capacity onboard allows the Pebble trailer to actively assist the tow vehicle with propulsion and regen braking. As a result, the Pebble feels much lighter than the 6,200-weight for towing. It reduces the motor load and energy consumption of the towing vehicle allowing for longer distance travel between charging stops. Stefan Solyom, CTO of Pebble told us the Flow is also the most aerodynamic trailer in its class thanks to smart design and active aero features that help reduce drag in motion.
Pebble is taking preorders on their website with deliveries expected to start before the end of 2024.
