Tiny Trailer Offers a Cure for EV Range Anxiety

Some of today’s EVs can handle long-distance treks. Others are designed more for short daily drives and wouldn’t be all that convenient to take on a road trip. A French startup wants to change all that.

The company is called EP Tender, and that tiny tow-behind is what they’re selling. It’s an add-on battery pack that can be plugged in to any EV to provide a big-time range boost.

EP Tender is currently developing a trailer with a 35kWh battery. The Renault Zoe pictured towing it has a 52kWh battery and a range of 242 miles. The extra 35kWh in the Tender should bump it up to somewhere around 400 miles.

The company’s goal is to eventually build a model that packs a whopping 60kWh. That’s just about the same capacity as the battery in the 2020 Nissan Leaf Plus, which the EPA rates for about 226 miles.  Hooking up a (relatively) lightweight little trailer would just about double its range.

EP Tender has already launched a pilot program in Europe. There are around 20 in service supplying range-boosting power to a handful of Zoes and small electric vans.

As if hooking up a trailer to wipe out your range anxiety wasn’t cool enough, EP Tender has more in store. They’re planning to set up depots where you could drive up and exchange your depleted unit for one that’s fully charged (much like swapping a propane tank for your barbecue). You’d be in and out in a matter of minutes instead of having to wait around for a recharge.

Renting a unit will cost “no more than $37,” though I couldn’t find whether that refers to a daily rate or the entire rental period.

Suppose your planned route won’t take you past any EP Tender depots? They’ve got an alternative for you, but it’s not the greenest choice.

They’re also making an ICE trailer that turns your EV into a sort of PHEV-frankencar.



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