One common question from anyone with cargo who has an ebike is this: can an electric bike pull a trailer? The answer to the question is a straight yes. But you need enough power and necessary setups to tow a trailer with your ebike.
Ebikes are constructed for such a purpose. Most of the ebikes now come with exciting accessories that can make driving even more fun. Lighting effects, extra cargo space to carry more stuff at once, LCD to monitor the bike stats, etc. are some examples.
Maybe you just got an ebike, and you wish to know if it can pull a trailer, then this article is just right for you. So, why not we discuss more into the topic and see what type of trailers you can use with an ebike and how to use one?
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Can an Electric Bike Pull A Trailer?
There are lots of different trailers that an electric bike can pull; child trailer, pet trailer, cargo holders, just to name a few. Are you also considering carrying some equipment for camping? Do you need that additional effort in carrying cargo?
Without a heavy-duty electric bike to pull a trailer, you cannot really plan further for the setup because power is the main thing here. Most of the trailers are detachable, meaning they can be used for skiing without attaching them to any electric bikes. So, researching this to meet your desires is worth it, which we did.
Electric bikes there are not only designed to pull trailers, but many of them can also go up hills. Now, think of the mechanical power that can take a bike up a hill. Such power makes it a heavy-duty electric bike to pull a trailer.
If you talk in numbers, a 500 watt ebike is good enough for light trailer pulling even in rough rodes. With a 700 watt one, you can go even to the steep hill terrain where a 1000 watt or more can give you enough power to pull heavy trailers in hilly terrains.
Types of Trailers You Can Pull With an Electric Bike
The first thing to consider is what exactly you’re planning to pull with the electric bike you want to get. Whatever the need, you can always find a perfect trailer that will take you through your tasks. There are different trailer types that a typical electric bike can tow.
Here are the different kinds of trailers:
Towing Cargo Trailer
This kind of trailer is designed to carry heavy loads long-distance easily. It can also be referred to as a flatbed trailer. It comes in various shapes and sizes and can either be single-wheeled or double-wheeled.
The double wheel cargo trailer provides a more balanced feel when you compare them to the single wheel. To add to this, loading and offloading on the double wheel is quite easy. However, in a way, the double wheel cargo trailer requires more power to pull due to the additional drag produced.
On the other hand, the single-wheel cargo trailer provides lesser drag. This makes them more efficient. Although the single-wheel trailer lacks balance, they’re perfect for narrow tracks. Plus, it’s easier to maneuver the single-wheel cargo trailer. However, single-wheel cargo trailers will need that extra planning to place loads to maintain the balance and prevent flipping.
Kid Towing Trailer
The trailers for kids are always made to have double wheels. They usually come in two variants; one-seater and two-seater. Having a single-wheel trailer for kids would be rather unstable and dangerous. So no kid towing trailer is single-wheeled.
The kid towing trailers are made to have tents. The tents protect the kids from the hazardous atmosphere, snow, rain, mosquitoes, etc., when they go for a ride.
Pet Trailer
There are similarities between pet trailers and cargo trailers. A notable difference is that the pet trailers have enclosed corners, unlike the cargo trailers. The enclosed corners are to keep the pets safe and prevent them from getting off the trailer.
The base of pet trailers is strong enough to withstand the paws and claws of the pets. Sometimes, people use these pet trailers to carry their cargos if the trailer can contain them.
Although pet trailers can carry cargo, you can’t say the same for cargo trailers carrying pets. For that to happen, the cargo trailer must be redesigned to fit the requirements of a pet trailer—for example, the enclosed corners and rigid base.
What Kind of Ebike is Ideal for Pulling Trailers?
The idea of getting a heavy-duty electric bike to pull a trailer can be puzzling at times. So it is necessary to have some information that can help you with your choice making. There are several kinds of electric bikes—every one of them with its capacity. You don’t want to get an electric bike that will not meet your needs.
That is why the information contained in this article is crucial in whatever choice you would want to make.
Let’s categorize them by classes:
- First Class – The motor in this class continues to run until the speed gets to 20mph. At this point, you are now doing the peddling all by yourself.
- Second Class – This class of ebikes runs in the same way as the setting of the throttle power.
- Third Class – The mechanism of this class of ebikes is similar to that of the first class. The only difference here is these ebikes continue to run until the speed gets to 28mps.
Looking at these different classes, we can say that the third class of ebikes is the most powerful. The cheapest of these classes is the first-class ebikes. They are the best choice for beginners. And obviously, the most expensive class of bikes are the ones in the third class. We can conclude by saying that any ebike in the third class is a heavy-duty electric bike to pull a trailer. With the third-class ebikes, it is easy to carry heavier luggage over a long distance.
It is no longer a debate answering if an electric bike can pull a trailer. It is clear, and we know for sure that ebikes are capable of pulling a trailer. However, there are some features of these bikes that will help you know which is best for your need. Which of these ebikes will give you a satisfying result?
If you need a heavy-duty electric bike to pull a trailer with ease, then you should get an electric bike with a powerful motor. 250W is the average motor power of an ebike. Do you need something better? You could go for any one with around 750W.
Average Battery Life when pulling a Trailer
It is important to know the amount of battery power necessary to carry out a pulling task. Many electric bikes are not exact with the level of continuous power usage. As a result, you cannot deduce the total ride time. But larger batteries will always deliver a lower level of power so that the battery can last longer. See the table below:
| Barry Energy in Watt Hours | Load | Duration in Hours |
| 500 WH | 1000W | 30 minutes |
| 500 WH | 500W | 1 hour |
| 500 WH | 250W | 2 hours |
What are Alternatives to Pulling a Bike Trailer with an Electric Bike?
The sizes of motors and batteries are becoming smaller in ebikes as the tech evolves. And usually, this innovation causes the prices to increase. So now we can have batteries of smaller sizes being as efficient as the bigger ones.
Even some trailers now have their own power. So if you want to pull a trailer but not with an electric bike, you might want to consider getting a trailer that provides its power. They are known as “Electric Push Trailers” and can also be attached to electric bikes. It is advisable to use bigger tires as they help carry a bigger load with ease.
Final Thought
We believe this article has clearly dealt with the question for you whether can an electric bike pull a trailer or not. So, if you’re set on pulling a trailer, consider getting an electric bike that comes with enough power. They are efficient enough to pull trailers through a long distance.
Always have in mind that when you want to carry bigger loads, a more powerful motor will be necessary. Suitable breaks and batteries can also do an excellent job in such cases. For safety purposes, always go for an electric bike that can carry the weight on the ground.
