What is the towing weight of a car?
How is towing weight of a car determined?
The manufacturer of the car determines the car’s towing weight. That towing weight is calculated based on a number of factors, including pulling power of the engine and whether the car is built to pull heavy things. This is also extensively tested by the manufacturer. You can imagine that some cars are better at towing heavy trailers than others. For example, a fat German diesel estate car easily makes it up the French Alps with a 1,500 kg caravan, while a small city car does not even make it through fifth gear, so to speak.
What are the rules for towing with the car?
It’s not like you can just pull anything with your car. Regardless of whether the car can do it, it is important to know whether you can. Some trailers, for example, require a separate license. Below are all the rules for driving with a trailer.
What can I tow with a B driver’s license?
The standard car license, driving license B, allows you to pull a trailer of up to 750 kg. In other words, the trailer plus what you want to carry in the trailer must not weigh more than 750 kg together. You may also tow a trailer weighing more than 750 kilograms, but only if the car plus the trailer with contents together do not weigh more than 3,500 kilograms.
What is a driver’s license B+ (code 96)
If you wanted to drive a combination weighing more than 3,500 kg before 2013, you had to possess driving license BE. After 2013, it will be possible to drive a combination up to 4,250 kg with driver’s license B+ (code 96), that is, trailer plus contents and car. So with this license, you no longer need to get the full BE license if you do want to tow more than the 3,500 kg you are allowed to tow with license B, up to 4,250 kg admittedly. Therefore, the exam for driver’s license B+ (code 96) is less demanding than for BE.
Towing a trailer with driving license BE
If you obtained your BE driver’s license before Jan. 19, 2013, you may tow any trailer or semi-trailer behind your car, provided the car can pull it. So there is no limit on empty weight + payload. If you obtained your BE driving license after Jan. 19, 2013, different rules apply: the trailer may then weigh up to 3,500 kg (trailer + contents).
What is the towing weight of my car?
How much your car can tow is listed on the registration certificate. Some cars have 0 kg on the registration certificate. This means that it is not possible to tow a trailer with this car. These are cars that also cannot be ordered with a tow bar. This may be so for a variety of reasons. For example, the engine or car may not be strong enough to tow a trailer or mounting a tow bar is simply not possible, due to a center exhaust, for example. Never tow more than the maximum towing weight listed on the registration certificate. The manufacturer sets a max for a reason. It prevents the car’s important components from breaking down, such as the clutch or overheated brakes.
Towing weight electric car
For electric cars, the towing weight works exactly the same as for cars with internal combustion engines. With the first generation of electric cars, few electric cars were allowed to tow a trailer. Yet you see that more and more electric car are equipped with a tow bar and have a relatively high towing weight on the registration certificate. For example, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicle even won “Tow Vehicle of the Year 2022. However, towing a caravan or heavy trailer does negatively affect the range.
Want to know more? Read all about the towing weight of an electric car here.
