A Tesla SUV driver had their vehicle impounded in Harlingen, Texas Wednesday night after they were spotted towing a full-sized semi-trailer with the ill-equipped electric vehicle.
Footage of the event tagged with the local 956 area code started to populate TikTok last night, including videos posted by Capital Towing LLC, the company responsible for resolving this odd situation. An employee of the towing company told R&T that they initially received a call from the Texas Department of Safety Wednesday evening requesting the use of one of their semi-tow rigs, but that it was a confusing situation from the start.
“When they called us in to dispatch, they told us we needed a heavy wrecker out there, but we need it just for the trailer,” the employee told R&T over the phone. “I said, ‘Well, what about the semi?’ They said, ‘No, it’s a Tesla.’ I asked if it was a Tesla truck and she said, ‘No, a Tesla.’ I thought I wasn’t understanding. But sure enough, they went out there and it was a Tesla car towing that trailer.”
The Tesla in question is a Model Y SUV with the dual motor powertrain, riding on paper temp plates. This model comes rated from the factory with a maximum towing capacity of 3500 lbs using a 2-inch receiver hitch, and while that’s certainly enough to pull some toys behind you, it’s not nearly enough to handle the weight of a full-size semi-trailer. Even unloaded like this particular trailer was, these things can weigh several tons.
We already know about the impacts that towing can have on your range when driving an EV, making this whole venture seem entirely impractical in a huge state like Texas. A video uploaded by user rickyguajardo5 also shows that the trailer was missing all of the required lights, making it a serious hazard on the highway. It’s no surprise that Texas DPS seemed to want it off the road as soon as possible.
Texas DPS did not immediately respond to R&T's request for comment.
Now, Tesla does build a Class 8 electric truck capable of pulling such a trailer, but they aren’t exactly accessible to your average buyer. The new Cybertruck would've made for a better tow rig as well, considering Tesla states that it can tow up to 11,000 lbs. Not that most people have a spare 48-foot trailer sitting around without a semi-truck to move it.
