Lifestyle
Tesla Model 3 takes on World War II-era trailer in range efficiency towing test
A video showing a Tesla Model 3 towing a 550-pound trailer recently provided a glimpse at how real world range is affected when the all-electric sedan pulls heavy items.
The real-world Model 3 towing test was conducted by Ben Sullins of the Teslanomics YouTube channel. Ben’s channel is known for reviews and lifestyle videos with electric vehicles, and this time he decided to clarify the many questions EV owners have about the real-world effect on range when towing with the Model 3.
Sullins’ Tesla Model 3 is officially rated with 325 miles of range, but his real-world average efficiency of about 78% usually meant that his vehicle is only able to travel about 253 miles per charge. It is essential to keep in mind that the range of an electric vehicle depends on several variables, including driving style, weather, climate control within the vehicle’s cabin, and weight inside the car. When more features of the vehicle are in use, the battery is going to be under more stress. More use of vehicle features will inevitably decrease the range.
The trailer used in the test is a converted World War II work truck or jeep that weighs 550 lbs. The trailer was stacked with an outdoor fold-out tent and its necessary rack for use that weighs an additional 200 extra pounds, making the total weight of the trailer about 750 lbs. Sullins’ total trip covered 26.7 miles of both inner-city streets and freeways both ways. This gives the test more validity as drivers likely use a combination of highways and city streets when towing a trailer.
Sullins noted that his total energy usage during the test was 12 kilowatt-hours (kWh), and his vehicle showed an average consumption of 448 Watt-hours per mile (Wh/mile). This energy output differs from his normal driving efficiency, as his car showed an average consumption of 320 Wh/mi when it traversed the same route without a trailer.
These figures suggest that the additional weight from the trailer resulted in a 40% loss in range, which translates to a 49% efficiency rate. With this in mind, Sullins noted that with the 750-lb WWII trailer, his Model 3 would have a total real-world range of 160 miles. This is ample for the casual weekend camping trip, but likely challenging for inter-state long-distance travel.
As the Teslanomics host emphasized, there are many variables involved when it comes to electric vehicles and their efficiency. The Tesla Model 3 in the video, for example, seemed to be equipped with Turbine Wheels, which are larger and not specifically designed for the Model 3. The average speed of the vehicle during the trip also played a factor in the Model 3’s efficiency while towing. As noted by commenters on Sullins’ video, electric car towing veterans from countries such as Norway usually travel at about 55 mph when they are pulling heavy loads to help maximize range.
While this decrease in range is expected and inconvenient, there are plenty of precautions Tesla drivers can take to avoid the troubles that come with towing. Luckily, Superchargers are readily available, and Tesla has worked diligently to increase the presence of charging stations across the world.
If a trailer or other item that needs to be towed is attached to a Tesla, expect decreases in range and plan by stopping at Superchargers on the way. Tesla’s in-car trip planning software will get drivers to their destinations in the most efficient way possible, even if the vehicle is towing a heavy trailer.
Watch Ben Sullins’ video on the Model 3’s range when towing a 750-lb trailer below.
Elon Musk
Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event
Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.
Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.
The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.
Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.
Lifestyle
Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold
A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.
A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.
The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.
En route with @tesla_semi pic.twitter.com/ZfuOjaeLH1
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) May 7, 2026
This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.
The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”
Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
Tesla has taken home the “Overall Loyalty to Make” award from S&P Global Mobility for the fourth consecutive year, reinforcing Tesla owners’ willingness to come back. The 2025 awards are based on S&P Global Mobility’s analysis of 13.6 million new retail vehicle registrations in the U.S. from October 2024 through September 2025. The complete list of 2025 winners includes General Motors for Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer, Tesla for Overall Loyalty to Make, Chevrolet Equinox for Overall Loyalty to Model, Mini for Most Improved Make Loyalty, Subaru for Overall Loyalty to Dealer, and Tesla again for both Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make and Highest Conquest Percentage.
Tesla’s streak in this category started in 2022, and the brand has now won the Highest Conquest Percentage award for six straight years, meaning it keeps pulling buyers away from other brands at a rate no competitor has matched. Tesla’s retention among Asian households reached 63.6% and among Hispanic households 61.9%, rates that significantly outpace national averages for those groups. That breadth of appeal across demographics adds a layer of significance to a win that some might dismiss as routine.
The timing matters too. After several consecutive quarters of decline, Tesla’s share of U.S. EV sales jumped to 59% in Q4 2025. That rebound, arriving just as competitors were flooding the market with new models and incentives, suggests Tesla’s loyalty numbers are not simply the result of limited alternatives. Buyers are still choosing it when they have plenty of other options.
What keeps Tesla owners coming back has a lot to do with the and convenience of charging. The Supercharger network is the most straightforward example. With over 65,000 Superchargers globally, it remains the largest and most reliable fast-charging network in the world, and owners who have built their routines around it face a real practical cost when considering a switch. Competitors have made progress, but the consistency, speed, and availability of Tesla’s network is still the benchmark the rest of the industry is chasing. Then there is the software side. Tesla has built a model where the car you own today is functionally different from the car you bought two years ago, through over-the-air updates that add continuous game-changing improvements such as Full Self-Driving that has moved from a driver-assist feature to an increasingly capable autonomous system. For many Tesla owners, leaving the brand means starting over with a car that will not get meaningfully better over time, and that is a trade-off fewer and fewer are willing to make.
SpaceX reveals date for maiden Starship v3 launch
Elon Musk breaks silence on OpenAI trial decision
