Are Hybrid Trucks Capable of Towing?

We’ve seen many benefits of hybrid engines, but can hybrid trucks handle the rigors of towing a heavy trailer? This is a question you need to consider.

There are many pickup trucks in the market, many of which offer some form of towing capacity. With the movement toward more efficient vehicles and battery electric models, we wonder if truck functions will be reduced. A hybrid engine is one that uses some electrification but still has the benefits of the gas-powered engine when the batteries are dead. Some hybrids are traditional models that recharge through regenerative braking or a gasoline generator, but some are plug-in models with electricity only surviving as long as the batteries have a charge.

Getting a Little More Hybrid Specific

A hybrid powertrain contains a traditional gasoline or diesel engine and an auxiliary drive system which consists of a battery, electric motors, and a charging system. The greatest difference between traditional hybrid powertrains and plug-in systems is the charging system. Under certain conditions, the hybrid system can drive itself. This is typically the case for PHEV models, which offer a specified driving distance using only electric power. Regardless, these hybrid powertrains haven’t ditched the need for fossil fuels to do most of the work.

Are Hybrid Trucks Better than Electric Trucks?

Maybe this isn’t a fair question, but it’s one to consider. The world is moving toward and excited about electric pickups, but if you’ve got to tow a heavy load every day, you’ll want a hybrid model. Electric trucks are limited by their driving range and need to recharge, often for several hours, to be useful once again. A hybrid pickup can continue to pull a heavy load even if the PHEV system is drained. When it comes to towing, hybrid models are better than EV pickups.

What Are the Benefits of Towing with a Hybrid Powertrain?

A hybrid powertrain gives you the benefits of the gas or diesel engine and the added benefits of battery power. We see some trucks and SUVs use a mild-hybrid system which gives the vehicle a boost of power either when taking off from a stop or while towing. For full hybrid models, some of the benefits include:

Range

The range of a hybrid truck isn’t limited to the battery power offered. The use of an internal combustion engine makes it much easier to continue the drive. If you run out of gas, you can refill in a few minutes and be back on the road.

Quick Refueling

As mentioned above, with a hybrid pickup, you won’t have to spend the night somewhere to wait for your vehicle to recharge. Even though some EV models can add up to 100 miles at a Fast Charging station, do you want to stop every 100 miles or so to plug in for thirty minutes to one hour?

The Infrastructure is Present

Even if you drive a PHEV truck, you’ll have a gasoline engine that offers most of the power and driving. This means you’re always compatible with the current infrastructure and can refill as needed. You don’t rely solely on the batteries to get you where you need to go.

Low Production Environmental Impact

The environmental impact difference at production between a gasoline and a hybrid vehicle is minimal. The difference between a traditional vehicle and a full EV is extremely high. It’s no secret that mining the materials for large battery packs is detrimental to the environment.

Can You Tow a Travel Trailer with a Hybrid Truck?

Yes, you certainly can, but that travel trailer must fit into the towing limits of the truck. For example, the Ford F-150 Hybrid can tow up to 12,700 pounds when equipped with the right towing package. Without that towing package, this truck is limited to 11,000 pounds of towing.

What Kind of Range Will You Get When Towing with a Hybrid Pickup?

Because the hybrid system is the lesser of the two power systems in a hybrid vehicle, you can expect to get as much driving distance when towing with a hybrid as you would if the electric-assist system wasn’t present. In many cases, the towing system of a truck disables the hybrid part of the powertrain, unless it’s a mild-hybrid system that’s designed to offer a bit of additional boost while towing. These systems don’t add any additional range when towing.

Which Uses More Fuel While Towing: Hybrid or Diesel?

This is an interesting question. Because there aren’t any hybrid heavy-duty trucks in the market yet, we look to a pair of half-ton models. This means offering the Chevy Silverado 1500 with its Duramax diesel engine and putting it up against the Ford F-150 hybrid.

Truck Stats for the Contest

The Ford F-150 PowerBoost has a curb weight of 5,840 pounds and 1,546 pounds of payload and uses a 10-speed automatic transmission. This truck can tow up to 12,700 pounds, as mentioned above.

The Chevy Silverado diesel is 400 pounds lighter with a curb weight of 5,420 pounds and carries up to 1,709 pounds of payload. This truck also has a 10-speed automatic transmission, but the towing capacity is only 9,000 pounds.

The camper used for this test has a dry weight of 4,738 pounds, and it is a 24-foot double-axle trailer. During the test, the driver kept both trucks in the 2WD mode for the duration.

The Fuel Economy Results

The Chevy Silverado with the Duramax diesel engine used five gallons of fuel to return 13 mpg over the course of 65.2 miles. The Ford F-150 hybrid truck used 9.119 gallons of fuel and returned 7.8 mpg over 71.3 miles driven.

What’s the Verdict?

The verdict is that hybrid trucks are better at towing than electric trucks but not as good as diesel-powered trucks. Using a hybrid pickup for towing offers you the flexibility needed to pull a load without stopping for hours to recharge the batteries.

Unfortunately, most hybrid powertrains use smaller gas engines than what you might want for towing. This is something to consider when you’re buying a truck, especially when you think about the fact that the hybrid system might not be active while pulling a trailer.