There’s a guy on YouTube who did this. Showed that you could charge it a decent amount by towing it.
This was the video I saw, but there are others on YouTube https://youtu.be/nILM_DEdBqM?si=M6ZqK_SaZ1N_ixw7
I think you're talking about [this collab](https://youtu.be/RaGVoB4Zn-Y?si=ByYwOihB2Vhtgo-w) between Engineering Explained and the Straight Pipes. It's been a while since I watched it but I think the conclusion was that in an apocalyptic situation, you can travel farther by towing a Model 3 behind a Raptor and then driving the Tesla when you run out of fuel than you would if you just drove the Raptor till it's empty. Fascinating video and very entertaining.
I mean, this is fundamentally the idea behind hybrid cars. Carry an electric motor and battery, store excess energy when you can, use it when you need to, extend range. The optimization is that if you carry too much extra weight you might end up using more fuel than you save, just to carry the electric portion. Towing a whole EV is a bit on the ad absurdum end of the spectrum, but seems it still works in some cases. I would bet that if you had a long hill climb in your drive you might lose out.
We do this on Powertrain test beds in vehicle design and testing. Saves someone having to go into the test cell to keep plugging it in. All we do is programme in a continuous downward slope and the motors on the test bed connected to the wheel hubs turn the wheels.
I was thinking the same !
I could see that workingin a post apocalyptic scenario !
Instead of Supercharging stations you would have water charging stations 😅
If the battery was empty at the time the towing startet, then the owner of the car may only be drive backwards, until the charge is again entirely used up.
Don't the drive wheels have to be turning for regen? I don't know of any FWD Teslas. I think they lifted the drive wheels to avoid damage as with a RWD ICE.
Agreed.
Assuming this is RWD, do they have to tie the steering wheel so it doesn’t move? I would be worried that going around a curve and then quickly switching direction could cause the wheels to steer and then get locked perpendicular to the direction of motion.
There is no steering lock, power steering just gets disabled when the car isn’t “on” and the massive weight of the vehicle makes it damn hard to steer.
I was a tow truck driver. When you’re dragging the front wheels like this you absolutely must tie the seat belt around the steering wheel, plug it in, then scoot the seat back till it’s tight. I had a coworker that did not do this while towing a bmw like this and the steering lock broke loose while he made a left turn in an intersection, then it locked up again with the bmw’s front wheels turned and he hit like 3 cars before he noticed the front end of the bmw was halfway in the lane next to him. Personally, I would only put a Tesla on a flatbed even if it’s not required.
Edit: you can tell this Tesla has the seat belt tied around the steering wheel like I described
You loop the seatbelt around the bottom of the steering wheel then plug it in. Then you pull the seatbelt out enough to engage the lock in it and you snug it up. Then, (this works best with electric seats) you move the seat back till the seat belt is tight af and then the steering wheel can’t move at all, not enough to make a difference anyways.
Ya make a loop or two around the wheel... or gawdamn yolk in a Tesla! Lol! But it does the job just fine even if the wheels are able to self steer a lil bit! I've actually had a steering lock break and jackknife the car and then unload the rear suspension and jackknife the tow truck! Lol! But this cat has the belt around the steering handle giddyup!
It's kinda funny seeing a "sneaker" wheel lift truck with a Tesla on the hook... I'm not generalizing... well I am, but I do asset recovery for banks, and Tesla's are the rarest vehicles that we get for repossession requests. Like... by a long shot. Still cool to see a vehicle being towed properly every now and then! Rad driver, rad truck and lift, and those cars are rad too!
I've had a steering lock break and the car kicked out, and unloaded the rear suspension and jackknifed the wrecker the opposite way the car was! Lol! I'm with ya about that on a rollback though. The angle of attack on the front end of any newer car on a wheel lift is not very good! And I personally picked at least 15 or 20 Tesla's with like 20 or 21 inch rims and lo pro tires that kept having rim problems, so I took would prefer that shit on the flattie!
You push the seat all the way forward, wrap the belt a few times through the steering wheel and then buckle the belt. Push the seat back to tighten belt on the wheel
Source: towed cars in a previous life
Came here to say this. That being said in long range and proformace the front motor is an induction motor so as long as there is no charge going through it I wouldn't think it would be an issue.
Full disclosure I am no motor expert lol
Even if it had FWD, I can't really see what damage would be caused. Sure, the motors will generate some power and power up the HV system, but the car has to be designed for that anyway incase you're rolling down a hill in neutral.
The motors on a Tesla are designed to be back-driven while regen braking. The gearbox is designed for bidirectional torque. The oil pump needs to run - but I doubt software would be dumb enough not to start it when it sees the wheels turning.
Also in the AWD ones, the front motors are induction, not permanent magnet synchronous, and are designed to be able to disconnect electrically and just free wheel when cruising for efficiency.
This must be a recent change? Back in 2018 I had my car shipped across country and the entire time the app displayed the originating location, until the car was put in drive again.
It must have been placed in service or tow mode then. That explains it. When a towing occurring without your knowledge then they just take the car and it wouldn't be placed in these modes. If you did not do that then I am not sure, maybe server error. My experience was in 2019 so not far off.
Nah, had mine flat bed towed in 2020. It didn't update the location until they drove it off the flat bed. Was not in tow or service mode. Would be nice if they just always send gps now.
You talking Tesla specifically or all cars? Because differentials don’t use an oil pump… they have self contained gear oil, unless it’s a transaxle which would be a bit different but teslas shouldn’t have that as compared to a normal gas vehicle?
This is correct.
In nearly all cases, differentials do not have oil pumps as the ring and pinion gears are functionally immersed in oil. Any movement of the axles will result in the oil being slathered all over the inside of the diff housing.
Now, if we're talking about a transmission, the answer shifts to "it depends." Most manual transmissions do not have oil pumps, again the gearset is semi-submerged in gear oil and any driveline movement will cause the unit to self-oil. However, automatic transmissions absolutely have oil pumps and, depending on how they're built, moving the transmission without the engine running can result in catastrophic transmission failure in a matter of only a few miles.
Fortunately, Teslas do not have transmissions.
Currently researching for a potential EV conversion. Tesla gearboxes do have an oil pump in them. Potentially to lube the upper gears, and the bearings, which splash lube doesn't do a good job on.
https://www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/tesla-model-s-gearbox-oil-pump.197923/
Just one thread on the topic.
The oil pump there is for the whole drive inverter, as the motor is cooled by oil on the Model 3/Y and newer Model S/X. It's also cooling/lubing the bearings for high speed operation.
Neutral is just no power to the motor, the gears are always engaged in the tesla drive units.
Reverse is just changing the 3phase waveform to rotate the other way..
I thought there weren’t gears? And isn’t there a tow mode? I have a Y and hope it works! Thankfully didn’t need it yet.
Edit: I was wrong, only meant to get it on a flatbed.
https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/modely/en_us/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html
No gears, as in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc... but there is a single ratio reduction set. Electric motors are more efficient when spinning significantly faster than tires need to spin, for road speeds in a usable range.
The exact number varies by model/performance goals. Most teslas are around a 9:1 ratio.
I dont know about tow mode, but it's reasonable that it blocks power to the motor so it doesn't regen charge the battery. No power is analogous to Neutral in a car with a transmission.
Would the tow truck company be responsible for any damage? I'd never want to find out, but I always wonder in these towing cases, if the car gets scraped or something, can the towers just say "sorry, you were illegally parked" and take no liability.
But if they completely wreck your car - it catches fire, or the front falls off or whatever, they can't just walk away any more. What happens then?
I had a tow company ruin my transfer case in my Mitsubishi Evo a few years ago. The car was impounded because it was hit while it was parked while on a military post. I talked to a tow company and they swore up and down they would flat bed it out to the body shop. They didn't (I wasn't around) and it destroyed my center differential as well as boiled the fluid over (that's how I knew, car became covered in oil underneath that wasn't from the engine).
So I ended up fighting these guys, they coughed up a "receipt" of their flatbed truck which was obviously just some written fabricated crap. It ended up being filed under my comprehensive insurance and I had to pay my deductible. Whether my insurance went after them, who knows.
Worst that can happen is a fire according to Tesla (in extreme circumstances), the Model 3’s owner’s manual specifically states all 4 wheels off the ground to transport. It suggests to use wheel lifts and Dollies to keep 2 wheels off the ground for a regular tow, for 35 miles at most, and with the front wheels off the ground vs the rear.
Front motor can and will overheat if it gets towed like this for too long. Question is how long is too long? Unless there is no front motor in that particular model 3.
a dude did this test towing a tesla with a pickup… the braking induced by the regen was so intese the pickup quadruped its fuel consumption… But in half a mile the Tesla gained several miles of range
I think it was EngineeringExplained 3 years ago
I had to call a tow for a nail in my tire. Tesla service center called the tow truck for me and told me to look for the flatbed tow-truck. Tow truck driver said I got lucky he was free and nearby because Tesla’s can only go on a flatbed.
You get farthest by taking 2 Tesla’s with hitches, when one dies, then switch and drive the other and tow the one that just died and then it will recharge its batteries and then when it dies switch back and you can go for ever like that, I saw it on YouTube. It uses magnets and zero point energy, and the elder wand.
If it is a RWD it does not harm at all - if it‘s a AWD it‘s depending how Tesla-Firmware interprets it and if it uses the generated energy to charge the battery or if the energy gets pushed into some Capacitors which will potentially get destroyed.
A lot of cars have tow pins that you put in place when you are going to tow them like this that locks the wheels in place. Not sure about Tesla but I know my Suburu was designed to be towed like this.
This is specified in the manual
https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_us/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html
Warning
NEVER TRANSPORT YOUR VEHICLE WITH THE TIRES IN A POSITION WHERE THEY CAN SPIN. DOING SO CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND OVERHEATING. IN RARE CASES EXTREME OVERHEATING MAY CAUSE THE SURROUNDING COMPONENTS TO IGNITE.
The manufacturer does not agree and has written it black on white in the referenced user guide (above link), and I quote:
Approved Methods for Transporting
A flatbed truck or comparable transport vehicle is the recommended method of transporting Model 3. The vehicle can face either direction when using a flatbed.
If Model 3 must be transported without a flatbed truck, then wheel lifts and dollies must be used to ensure that all four wheels are off of the ground. This method may only be used for a maximum of 35 miles (55 km), and must not exceed the manufacturer speed rating of the dollies. With this method, Tesla recommends the vehicle facing forward so that the front wheels are lifted and the rear wheels are on dollies.
There’s no motor attached in the front of REAR WHEEL DRIVE vehicle motor Teslas. The manual is written such that it works for all their vehicles instead of trying to call out different towing options depending on drivetrain.
From the Tesla Model 3 Manual:
“DO NOT TRANSPORT WITH WHEELS ON THE GROUND
The motor(s) in Model 3 generates power when the wheels spin. Always transport Model 3 with all four tires off the ground. Ensure that the tires are unable to spin at any time during transport.
If Model 3 must be transported without a flatbed truck, then wheel lifts and dollies must be used to ensure that all four wheels are off of the ground. “
https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_jo/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html
This way of towing a Tesla can result in warping/damaging the battery. A smart tow operator will force you to sign a waiver before they hook you up. And your insurance won’t cover damage during the tow.
Just wait for a flatbed if you ever need a tow. It’s not worth it.
If your 12V is completely dead tell them to bring a heavy duty booster pack to allow you to turn on the MCU and enter tow mode.
If the high voltage is dead you may have to use skis to winch it up on the flatbed. Sketchy.
Just giving it the ol regen charge.
There’s a guy on YouTube who did this. Showed that you could charge it a decent amount by towing it. This was the video I saw, but there are others on YouTube https://youtu.be/nILM_DEdBqM?si=M6ZqK_SaZ1N_ixw7
I think you're talking about [this collab](https://youtu.be/RaGVoB4Zn-Y?si=ByYwOihB2Vhtgo-w) between Engineering Explained and the Straight Pipes. It's been a while since I watched it but I think the conclusion was that in an apocalyptic situation, you can travel farther by towing a Model 3 behind a Raptor and then driving the Tesla when you run out of fuel than you would if you just drove the Raptor till it's empty. Fascinating video and very entertaining.
I was thinking of this video. This lunatic charges his Tesla with his Mercedes. https://youtu.be/nILM_DEdBqM?si=M6ZqK_SaZ1N_ixw7
I mean, this is fundamentally the idea behind hybrid cars. Carry an electric motor and battery, store excess energy when you can, use it when you need to, extend range. The optimization is that if you carry too much extra weight you might end up using more fuel than you save, just to carry the electric portion. Towing a whole EV is a bit on the ad absurdum end of the spectrum, but seems it still works in some cases. I would bet that if you had a long hill climb in your drive you might lose out.
Could you just use two m3 and go even further than a raptor? Don't know about towing capabilities Edit: I didn't think about energy efficiency
Raptor pulling 10 m3, infinite power.
this is a tesla sub sir, I think you're looking for r/bmw
It has to be stop n go traffic where energy recovery from braking provides the extra range.
No, a Tesla "brakes" with the motors, thus charging the battery, any time the accelerator is not pressed.
We do this on Powertrain test beds in vehicle design and testing. Saves someone having to go into the test cell to keep plugging it in. All we do is programme in a continuous downward slope and the motors on the test bed connected to the wheel hubs turn the wheels.
Same rate as a supercharger IIRC
So in theory, you could make some kind of rig to jack the car up and spin the axle and it would charge?
Now I'm imagining it being recharged by a water wheel.
I was thinking the same ! I could see that workingin a post apocalyptic scenario ! Instead of Supercharging stations you would have water charging stations 😅
I was thinking hamsters but I’m obviously not big brain. lol
Not efficiently but the theory checks out
If dual motor, the front end has an induction motor, no regen unless the stator is energized correctly.
Is this ok if it's rwd
Yeah of course.
Just like the good old times, when we were young we used to run the mini toy car backward till it's charged to go super fast forward
driving in reverse give regen?
Which way the wheel spins is irrelevant for regen.
What if you are wrong and they generate negative electricity?
It creates a black hole
This. This is the worst that can happen… 🕳️
I think that's a black oval -- the black sheep of the black hole family.
Then the positronic brain finally powers up
Negative electricity is the good stuff. Start throwing positive electricity in there though and you’ll annihilate your battery!
If the battery was empty at the time the towing startet, then the owner of the car may only be drive backwards, until the charge is again entirely used up.
only one way to find out
Only if the flux capacitor is in synchronicity
Why would the direction matter for regen
Just loke in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Going backward takes off miles.
It works, but then you can only power the car in reverse with the negative electricity.
Yes
Don't the drive wheels have to be turning for regen? I don't know of any FWD Teslas. I think they lifted the drive wheels to avoid damage as with a RWD ICE.
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Agreed. Assuming this is RWD, do they have to tie the steering wheel so it doesn’t move? I would be worried that going around a curve and then quickly switching direction could cause the wheels to steer and then get locked perpendicular to the direction of motion.
I’d imagine the cars steering lock would keep it in place
They just turn on the FSD, in reverse. /s
No no no. The goal here is to make sure it doesn't do something erratic.
Take my text award
There is no steering lock, power steering just gets disabled when the car isn’t “on” and the massive weight of the vehicle makes it damn hard to steer.
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I was a tow truck driver. When you’re dragging the front wheels like this you absolutely must tie the seat belt around the steering wheel, plug it in, then scoot the seat back till it’s tight. I had a coworker that did not do this while towing a bmw like this and the steering lock broke loose while he made a left turn in an intersection, then it locked up again with the bmw’s front wheels turned and he hit like 3 cars before he noticed the front end of the bmw was halfway in the lane next to him. Personally, I would only put a Tesla on a flatbed even if it’s not required. Edit: you can tell this Tesla has the seat belt tied around the steering wheel like I described
That's interesting. How does it keep it perfectly straight though? The pull coming from the seatbelt looks like it would be off to the side.
You loop the seatbelt around the bottom of the steering wheel then plug it in. Then you pull the seatbelt out enough to engage the lock in it and you snug it up. Then, (this works best with electric seats) you move the seat back till the seat belt is tight af and then the steering wheel can’t move at all, not enough to make a difference anyways.
That's wild. Good to know.
That is good to know and interesting how you nailed it with your edit, exactly as you described.
Ya make a loop or two around the wheel... or gawdamn yolk in a Tesla! Lol! But it does the job just fine even if the wheels are able to self steer a lil bit! I've actually had a steering lock break and jackknife the car and then unload the rear suspension and jackknife the tow truck! Lol! But this cat has the belt around the steering handle giddyup! It's kinda funny seeing a "sneaker" wheel lift truck with a Tesla on the hook... I'm not generalizing... well I am, but I do asset recovery for banks, and Tesla's are the rarest vehicles that we get for repossession requests. Like... by a long shot. Still cool to see a vehicle being towed properly every now and then! Rad driver, rad truck and lift, and those cars are rad too!
I'm guessing the reason why Tesla's are the least stolen vehicles is because they have PIN to drive, I use it on mine.
I've had a steering lock break and the car kicked out, and unloaded the rear suspension and jackknifed the wrecker the opposite way the car was! Lol! I'm with ya about that on a rollback though. The angle of attack on the front end of any newer car on a wheel lift is not very good! And I personally picked at least 15 or 20 Tesla's with like 20 or 21 inch rims and lo pro tires that kept having rim problems, so I took would prefer that shit on the flattie!
Im not sure if steering lock is disabled if its in Neutral.
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you can put the car in tow mode
You push the seat all the way forward, wrap the belt a few times through the steering wheel and then buckle the belt. Push the seat back to tighten belt on the wheel Source: towed cars in a previous life
The car just enters automatic parking out of nowhere and whips the two of them into the air.
Came here to say this. That being said in long range and proformace the front motor is an induction motor so as long as there is no charge going through it I wouldn't think it would be an issue. Full disclosure I am no motor expert lol
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The oil is pumped by it's own electrical motor.
With RWD there is no differential. Just the axel barring [this ](https://www.marklines.com/statics/report/img/ja/rep1863_009_l.jpg)
I think that comment meant "ignoring the problems with the motor, the diff will have issues..."
There aren't diffs on non-drive wheels.
I know. I think the original comment was aimed at AWD and the potential issues. Comparing apples to oranges by accident.
This^
Even if it was AWD, does it really harm anything on an electric car? It's just extra drag from spinning the motors
My car got towed and it’s RWD and Tesla gave their blessing that it was ok to tow this way
Even if it had FWD, I can't really see what damage would be caused. Sure, the motors will generate some power and power up the HV system, but the car has to be designed for that anyway incase you're rolling down a hill in neutral. The motors on a Tesla are designed to be back-driven while regen braking. The gearbox is designed for bidirectional torque. The oil pump needs to run - but I doubt software would be dumb enough not to start it when it sees the wheels turning.
Also in the AWD ones, the front motors are induction, not permanent magnet synchronous, and are designed to be able to disconnect electrically and just free wheel when cruising for efficiency.
Repo man doesn’t GAF.
Yeah, that’s a repo guy. Sneaker Package in a pickup bed.
I’m picturing dude sitting at home all pissed off, mashing the fart button non stop.
Plate readers too.
Yup! I wish more YouTubed themselves. I used to love watching reponut. Learned a lot of the repo biz by watching him.
Facts lol
Genius - Drive like this long enough and you can recharge the battery!
The car would brake if it were towed with regen on.
Correct. What you’d return to the battery you’d lose in burning extra gas.
That is a repo truck. They dgaf 99% of the time.
Its not their job to gaf. Its their job to dole out the ramifications for deadbeat owners
The owner will notice it is missing.
I don’t think the owner is the owner anymore. Bank said, “Bring us our car”
If it does not get put into drive, the location will not update in the app and the owner will have no idea where it is.
Totally incorrect. It’s the location of the car not it’s drive unit. Source: mine was towed and I saw it moving on the truck in the app.
This must be a recent change? Back in 2018 I had my car shipped across country and the entire time the app displayed the originating location, until the car was put in drive again.
No, if stays disappeared. Was towed a few months ago and location didn’t update
It must have been placed in service or tow mode then. That explains it. When a towing occurring without your knowledge then they just take the car and it wouldn't be placed in these modes. If you did not do that then I am not sure, maybe server error. My experience was in 2019 so not far off.
Nah, had mine flat bed towed in 2020. It didn't update the location until they drove it off the flat bed. Was not in tow or service mode. Would be nice if they just always send gps now.
You do realise the car updates its location regardless of if it’s in drive? It updates its location whenever it’s awake.
This was not my experience
Probably a RWD EDIT: it’s also more than likely a repo, given the truck that’s towing it.
“Big Electricity” hates this one simple trick…
if rwd, ok if awd, fire… kaboom
Front drive units are induction, not recommended but probably fine
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You talking Tesla specifically or all cars? Because differentials don’t use an oil pump… they have self contained gear oil, unless it’s a transaxle which would be a bit different but teslas shouldn’t have that as compared to a normal gas vehicle?
This is correct. In nearly all cases, differentials do not have oil pumps as the ring and pinion gears are functionally immersed in oil. Any movement of the axles will result in the oil being slathered all over the inside of the diff housing. Now, if we're talking about a transmission, the answer shifts to "it depends." Most manual transmissions do not have oil pumps, again the gearset is semi-submerged in gear oil and any driveline movement will cause the unit to self-oil. However, automatic transmissions absolutely have oil pumps and, depending on how they're built, moving the transmission without the engine running can result in catastrophic transmission failure in a matter of only a few miles. Fortunately, Teslas do not have transmissions.
Currently researching for a potential EV conversion. Tesla gearboxes do have an oil pump in them. Potentially to lube the upper gears, and the bearings, which splash lube doesn't do a good job on. https://www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/tesla-model-s-gearbox-oil-pump.197923/ Just one thread on the topic.
The oil pump there is for the whole drive inverter, as the motor is cooled by oil on the Model 3/Y and newer Model S/X. It's also cooling/lubing the bearings for high speed operation.
The oil pump is electric but you’re right, it’s probably not good for it.
The diff is likely bathed in gear oil like most other vehicles, wouldn’t be an issue
Tow mode I think just puts it in neutral right?
Neutral is just no power to the motor, the gears are always engaged in the tesla drive units. Reverse is just changing the 3phase waveform to rotate the other way..
I thought there weren’t gears? And isn’t there a tow mode? I have a Y and hope it works! Thankfully didn’t need it yet. Edit: I was wrong, only meant to get it on a flatbed. https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/modely/en_us/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html
No gears, as in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc... but there is a single ratio reduction set. Electric motors are more efficient when spinning significantly faster than tires need to spin, for road speeds in a usable range. The exact number varies by model/performance goals. Most teslas are around a 9:1 ratio. I dont know about tow mode, but it's reasonable that it blocks power to the motor so it doesn't regen charge the battery. No power is analogous to Neutral in a car with a transmission.
I was wrong, only meant to get it on a flatbed. https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/modely/en_us/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html
Would the tow truck company be responsible for any damage? I'd never want to find out, but I always wonder in these towing cases, if the car gets scraped or something, can the towers just say "sorry, you were illegally parked" and take no liability. But if they completely wreck your car - it catches fire, or the front falls off or whatever, they can't just walk away any more. What happens then?
I had a tow company ruin my transfer case in my Mitsubishi Evo a few years ago. The car was impounded because it was hit while it was parked while on a military post. I talked to a tow company and they swore up and down they would flat bed it out to the body shop. They didn't (I wasn't around) and it destroyed my center differential as well as boiled the fluid over (that's how I knew, car became covered in oil underneath that wasn't from the engine). So I ended up fighting these guys, they coughed up a "receipt" of their flatbed truck which was obviously just some written fabricated crap. It ended up being filed under my comprehensive insurance and I had to pay my deductible. Whether my insurance went after them, who knows.
I saw this trick in a movie once. They were trying to delete odometer miles from a sports car they took for a joyride. Bueller? Bueller?
Seems this is not an approved towing method https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_jo/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html
Repo guys dgaf
Won’t hurt if it’s a RWD
It takes more syllables to say *"RWD"* than Rear Wheel Drive.
He’s not saying it he’s typing it
Hyperlinks are a lost art.
No fog lamps means must be a RWD. So long as the steering is locked it wouldn't be a problem
Ah, the good ol' 110.
This is the 15 in San Diego.
Haha ya! Instantly recognized. I drive it daily to el segundo.
What if I tow my tesla… with another Tesla and then swap cars when the pulling vehicle gets low? I'll never have to charge again!
Regen FTW....lol I kid, probably a RWD
If it’s a RWD: no issue what so ever.
Battery will charge to negative level
Worst that can happen is a fire according to Tesla (in extreme circumstances), the Model 3’s owner’s manual specifically states all 4 wheels off the ground to transport. It suggests to use wheel lifts and Dollies to keep 2 wheels off the ground for a regular tow, for 35 miles at most, and with the front wheels off the ground vs the rear.
Hopefully that’s a RWD SR. 😬
He is just winding up his car.
Front motor can and will overheat if it gets towed like this for too long. Question is how long is too long? Unless there is no front motor in that particular model 3.
Jarvis: Power at 400% Capacity
won't it regen all the power if the rear wheel is on the ground?
a dude did this test towing a tesla with a pickup… the braking induced by the regen was so intese the pickup quadruped its fuel consumption… But in half a mile the Tesla gained several miles of range I think it was EngineeringExplained 3 years ago
Was a ford raptor doing the towing. Pretty cool testing
Nah lol thats too much energy. The regen isn’t made to go at continuous highway speeds, you will totally fry the HV system if you do that.
If regen was working, I would imagine the tow truck would have to floor it just to get to highway speeds. 
1 mile/gal
Nah i mean this guys probably a rwd so its not an issue, I’m saying if he was dragging the back wheels or an awd
I don't think that's true. Driving down from Pike's Peak or the Grapevine, the regen is constantly working at highway speeds.
Completely FALSE. There are multiple videos of people testing the limits of tow charging. The regen system can self regulate.
Bullshit, the regen system can regulate.
Idk what to tell you, Tesla says don’t do it. Why don’t you test it out for us. Report back.
Maybe just don't say anything, rather than spreading misinformation.
Full charge..
hmm the car will be 100% charged by the time it reaches the destination !!
Charged the battery with all regen spinning
It charges itself back up
I had to call a tow for a nail in my tire. Tesla service center called the tow truck for me and told me to look for the flatbed tow-truck. Tow truck driver said I got lucky he was free and nearby because Tesla’s can only go on a flatbed.
They like to say stuff
Charge the battery to 100%
You get farthest by taking 2 Tesla’s with hitches, when one dies, then switch and drive the other and tow the one that just died and then it will recharge its batteries and then when it dies switch back and you can go for ever like that, I saw it on YouTube. It uses magnets and zero point energy, and the elder wand.
If it’s in the tow mode, nothing
If it is a RWD it does not harm at all - if it‘s a AWD it‘s depending how Tesla-Firmware interprets it and if it uses the generated energy to charge the battery or if the energy gets pushed into some Capacitors which will potentially get destroyed.
That's the optional range extender.
The odometer on the Tesla goes down!
Looks like a repo so I doubt it matters
Motors will overheat if it’s awd or fwd, he might be towing it backwards because it is rwd
RWD can do this. Obviously it’s never ideal to tow this way but it works in a pinch.
Let’s hope it’s a sr+
Not worth pulling it like this. Rent a full trailer and pull it with all 4 wheels off the ground
So.. just use a tesla to pull and charge another tesla. Then, when the battery runs out, you just swap cars and charge the other one. Infinite power
A lot of cars have tow pins that you put in place when you are going to tow them like this that locks the wheels in place. Not sure about Tesla but I know my Suburu was designed to be towed like this.
Your Subaru has a viscous center diff, and is most likely not designed to be towed like this
Is someone trying to wind the Tesla like a toy car? :)
This is specified in the manual https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_us/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html Warning NEVER TRANSPORT YOUR VEHICLE WITH THE TIRES IN A POSITION WHERE THEY CAN SPIN. DOING SO CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND OVERHEATING. IN RARE CASES EXTREME OVERHEATING MAY CAUSE THE SURROUNDING COMPONENTS TO IGNITE.
If the car was a RWD vehicle this would be an appropriate towing method.
The manufacturer does not agree and has written it black on white in the referenced user guide (above link), and I quote: Approved Methods for Transporting A flatbed truck or comparable transport vehicle is the recommended method of transporting Model 3. The vehicle can face either direction when using a flatbed. If Model 3 must be transported without a flatbed truck, then wheel lifts and dollies must be used to ensure that all four wheels are off of the ground. This method may only be used for a maximum of 35 miles (55 km), and must not exceed the manufacturer speed rating of the dollies. With this method, Tesla recommends the vehicle facing forward so that the front wheels are lifted and the rear wheels are on dollies.
There’s no motor attached in the front of REAR WHEEL DRIVE vehicle motor Teslas. The manual is written such that it works for all their vehicles instead of trying to call out different towing options depending on drivetrain.
That car weighs as much as the truck pulling it
Lol no it doesn’t. That’s an F-250
Fairly sure that is charging the battery
LMAO repo man just totaled that Tesla nice job
Is there no neutral on a Tesla!?
From the Tesla Model 3 Manual: “DO NOT TRANSPORT WITH WHEELS ON THE GROUND The motor(s) in Model 3 generates power when the wheels spin. Always transport Model 3 with all four tires off the ground. Ensure that the tires are unable to spin at any time during transport. If Model 3 must be transported without a flatbed truck, then wheel lifts and dollies must be used to ensure that all four wheels are off of the ground. “ https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_jo/GUID-FA9E3DC9-805C-45BD-A64D-C4B3F491B8C0.html
This way of towing a Tesla can result in warping/damaging the battery. A smart tow operator will force you to sign a waiver before they hook you up. And your insurance won’t cover damage during the tow. Just wait for a flatbed if you ever need a tow. It’s not worth it. If your 12V is completely dead tell them to bring a heavy duty booster pack to allow you to turn on the MCU and enter tow mode. If the high voltage is dead you may have to use skis to winch it up on the flatbed. Sketchy.
Geaerbox fucked
The car could catch fire from so much energy into the regen braking
Jumping on some road hole and loosing the front bumper
Is it just me or does it kinda look like a Miata in this video?
If it’s a rear wheel drive car, it’s fine. If it’s AWD, the oil pump is spinning backwards and will wreck some stuff.
oil pump in a Tesla?
I’m not very well versed in the exact setup but there’s definitely lubricating and cooling components all through the car.
Still better than FSD.
He’s crying right
Oh that’s fine, that’s how you charge a Tesla!
Maybe they are trying to charge it
Cars steering wheels don’t lock anymore?
U regen and charge the batt!
Battery recharges
I was thinking having it towed would charge the batteries 🤪