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The Solar Electric Trailer Is One Step Closer

We’re getting excited about our solar electric trailer journey now that our Chevy Bolt has a trailer hitch.

Before we report on the hitch, let’s recap. We have reserved or pre-ordered not one, not two, but three separate electric trucks. The Tesla Cybertruck was the first but we now expect our Tesla won’t be ready until 2025! Next, we ordered the Rivian R1T hoping it would arrive in 2022. No luck. That won’t arrive until the end of next year. Finally, we’ve reserved a Chevy Silverado EV. Ironically, it may be the last that comes first! We just want one that will tow a trailer!

So, anxious to start our adventure, we decided to see what our current EV, the Chevy Bolt, could tow. (See our full episode on this here.) We settled on a number (1,600 pounds) and decided to go ahead and have the hitch installed.

We considered doing the work ourselves, but ultimately concluded it was beyond our capability, especially given the safety issues involved.

After doing our research, we felt the best hitch for our Bolt is the EcoHitch from Torklift Central. We concluded that it was the most robust and would allow us to maximize the Bolt’s potential for towing.

The nearest authorized dealer that installs these hitches is in Ocala, Florida, about 100 miles from our place in Jacksonville. We made the arrangements and made a day of it, spending much of it in the waiting room there at The Electrified Garage.

The team was great about letting us film most of the work of the installation, so you can watch them work on the video in the player at the top of this article.

The Electrified Garage only services electric vehicles so the shop is remarkably clean. It was a reminder that EVs are just cleaner.

The hitch is designed to be attached behind the bumper and to then protrude through a cut in it, so it is pretty unobtrusive.

While it certainly isn’t decorative, it doesn’t overwhelm the look of the car. At 38 pounds, we don’t expect a measurable impact on range. (Towing is another matter.)

Speaking of towing, next week, we plan to do a test tow. We’re excited to report on that so be sure to come back. If you’re not subscribed, please do.

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