US vs UK Electric Tow Car Comparisons

You may have noticed I have a few articles on this site of US specification vehicles where I’ll state my disappointment in the officially rated towing capacity compared to the UK/EU version of the same vehicle. Therefore, I thought I would create this article showing the differences within an easy to read table with links to my article on each vehicle. Some vehicles have no official tow rating in the US at all, while others have a slight or significant reduction in towing capacity compared to UK/EU versions. Right, let’s get into this!

Introduction To US vs UK Electric Tow Car Comparisons

If you weren’t already aware this site (electrictowcars.com) focuses on the towing specifications of BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) and PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) sold in the US.

I have a separate site (electrictowcars.co.uk) where I discuss the towing specifications and capabilities of BEVs and PHEVs sold in the UK, but the specifications are also generally the same as vehicles sold in the EU.

I’m aware that some US vehicle owners tow trailers when their car has no official tow rating. However, there may be safety, legal and insurance-based implications in doing so.

The table below shows the different US and UK official towing specifications for different vehicles with links to my articles on the applicable website. While in the UK the towing specification is stated in kilograms (kg) I’ve converted the figure to pounds (lbs) for easy comparison.

US vs UK Electric Tow Car Comparison Table

Please note, in the table below I’ve stated the maximum towing capacity for each vehicle. Many of the vehicles below have different battery and powertrain options which influence their rated towing capacity. The list of vehicles below is in alphabetical order.

BEV or PHEV?	US Vehicle	US Tow Rating	UK Vehicle	UK Tow Rating
BEV	Audi E-Tron 50/55	4,000 lbs	Audi E-Tron 50/55	3,968 lbs
BEV	Audi Q4 E-Tron	None	Audi Q4 E-Tron	2,645 lbs
BEV	BMW i4	None	BMW i4	3,527 lbs
PHEV	BMW X5 xDrive 45e	5,952 lbs	BMW X5 xDrive 45e	5,952 lbs
BEV	BMW iX	None	BMW iX	5,511 lbs
BEV	Ford Mustang Mach-E	None	Ford Mustang Mach-E	1,653 lbs
BEV	Hyundai IONIQ 5	2,000 lbs	Hyundai IONIQ 5	3,527 lbs
BEV	Jaguar I-Pace	None	Jaguar I-Pace	1,653 lbs
PHEV	Lexus NX450h+	2,000 lbs	Lexus NX450h+	3,300 lbs
BEV	KIA EV6	2,300 lbs	KIA EV6	3,527 lbs
BEV	Nissan Ariya	1,500 lbs	Nissan Ariya	3,300 lbs
BEV	Mercedes EQS	None	Mercedes EQS	1,653 lbs
BEV	Polestar 2	2,000 lbs	Polestar 2	3,300 lbs
PHEV	Range Rover P440e	5,511 lbs	Range Rover P440e	5,511 lbs
BEV	Tesla Model 3	None	Tesla Model 3	2,204 lbs
BEV	Tesla Model Y	3,500 lbs	Tesla Model Y	3,527 lbs
BEV	Tesla Model X	5,000 lbs	Tesla Model X	4,960 lbs
PHEV	Toyota RAV4 Prime	2,500 lbs	Toyota RAV4 PHEV	3,300 lbs
BEV	Volvo C40 Recharge	None	Volvo C40 Recharge	3,968 lbs
PHEV	Volvo S60 & V60	2,000 lbs	Volvo S60 & V90	4,409 lbs
PHEV	Volvo S90 & V90	None	Volvo S90 & V90	4,629 lbs
BEV	Volvo XC40 Recharge	3,300 lbs	Volvo XC40 Recharge	3,300 lbs
PHEV	Volvo XC60 Recharge	3,500 lbs	Volvo XC60 Recharge	4,960 lbs
PHEV	Volvo XC90 Recharge	5,000 lbs	Volvo XC90 Recharge	5,180 lbs
BEV	VW ID.4	2,700 lbs	VW ID.4	2,645 lbs

Please also note, the table above only includes electric cars which are sold in both the US and UK and in at least one country the vehicle is rated to tow.

Vehicles such as certain electric trucks which will be only sold in the US I’ve not included in the list above. Please check my electric tow car/truck list for all vehicles sold in the US with an official tow rating.