Revision to the Tesla Model 3 towing capacity - Tow a trailer with your Model 3

Revision to the Tesla Model 3 towing capacity - Can you tow a trailer with your Model 3?

Tesla unveiled the Model 3 with a configurable towbar to much fanfare.  The devil was in the details.  

To the frustration of many Tesla Model 3 owners, only European customers were able to include a towbar with their order. And more importantly, only Model 3s with the Tesla factory towbar fitted during assembly were actually given a tow rating.  Initially it was assumed that only factory fitted Teslas were given a tow rating (required to legally tow) as some kind of chassis strengthening was included when a customer requested the towbar option.  Consequently, aftermarket towbars were rated at 0kgs and could only be used with a bike carrier, as the vehicle was not legally allowed to tow.

The first Model 3 was originally specified to tow 910 kg (assuming you included a towbar in your order configuration and resided in Europe), since then the rating has been revised and 2020 models are rated at 1000 kgs.  Most importantly, initially, Tesla stated “Tow Hitch cannot be installed after delivery” – Tesla.com

Now, very quietly it appears Tesla has removed this limitation and is no longer stated on the Tesla website.  Still ambiguous, but Model 3 owners, especially in the US have started fitting towbars, almost religiously.   

So how practical is the 1,000 kg towing capacity of the Model 3? As you can guess, it is best suited for small trailers for camping trips, taking a motor cross bike or jetski along or going to the tip. It's not really sufficient for large caravans common on the roads, though it could be used to tow teardrop campers and certain small caravans.

Tesla Model 3 capacity- Trailer Towing
Refer to the Certificate of Conformity (provided at the time of your vehicle's purchase), statutory plate/sticker and your owner's manual for the total trailer weight—including all cargo and additional equipment.  The smallest number will be the maximum your particular Tesla can tow.
Many 2019 models should have a 910 kg capacity, 2020 a max of 1000kgs.   There may be certain models of Tesla Model 3 that cannot be used to tow a trailer. These will be highlighted with zero/'0 KG', 'N KG' or N/A.

Please note, that trailer mode will only be available with the factory towbar option as it gets its own module and programming.  Universal wiring kits are commonly used to provide basic lighting to your trailer.  You may upgrade to a specific Tesla 3 plug and play wiring kit if you do not want to splice into existing wiring.  

Our new Tesla Model 3 towbar is rated at a max of 1600kgs - future proof - just in case Tesla once again 'revises' the Model 3 max - maybe to aline it with the Model Y.

Order your Tesla Model 3 towbar today.  At the very least you'll be able to use a "ball" mounted bike carrier and take your bikes on your next weekend trip.