Thought I'd share my experience with the first towing drive with my GGT on a 920 mile round trip from Boise, Idaho to Yellowstone National Park. Overall, this was a very uneventful experience with the GGT performing as well, if not better, than my previous Tesla X or my wife's Cadillac Vistiq. Here are the details:
RV: 2,500 pound Alto Safari, a single axle teardrop camper trailer with electric brakes
Elevations: Boise is at 3,000 feet elevation. Yellowstone is at approximately 7,800 feet elevation
Weather: wide variation in temperatures during the trips depending on location with values between 45 - 90 degrees F. Very strong wind gusts of 25-30 miles per hour on the return trip to Boise between Twin Falls and Boise.
Speed: maintained fairly constant speeds between 62 - 67 mph.
Car load: 2 adults with approximately 150 lbs cargo
Charging: 3 Tesla SCs along the route plus one CCS charger 110 miles from Yellowstone
Pros:
* Given the huge horsepower and torque of the GGT it wasn't surprising that I barely felt that I was towing an additional 2,500 lbs, regardless of speed or slope of the road.
* Excellent stability with minimal sway despite very high winds at various locations. The GTT's handling is superb even when hauling 2,500 pounds.
* Lucid supplied tow hitch easy to install, though I had experience with this device as it's the same one used by Tesla on their model X.
* Automatic light checks performed automatically and flawlessly upon connection of the 7 pin electrical connection between the GGT and RV.
* Brake controller also performed flawlessly and was very easy to test and adjust.
* 2 of the 3 Tesla SCs I used allowed me to pull into the charger without unhooking the RV. This was also possible at the CCS site in Ashton, Idaho. When I did need to unhook the RV to charge it was a quick process to rebook the RV. The backup cameras in "hitch" mode are very accurate.
* The Gravity's storage space is amazing. I was able to store my Blackstone griddle in the frunk along with the portable charging cable.
Cons:
* My overall dynamic range was 1.53 miles/kwh, only slightly better than the performance of the Model X or Cadillac Vistiq. The efficiency ratings in Trip Information varied between 1.4 - 1.7 depending upon elevations, temperature, and wind resistance. I get 3.4 - 3.5 miles/kwh when driving around Boise without the RV. So, a 50% reduction in efficiency was not surprising as this is common among all electric and ICE vehicles that tow. The aerodynamic penalty induced by a trailer is very severe at speeds over 40-45 mph.
* My major complaint is something that Lucid must fix. All Dreamdrive functions are suspended when towing. I can't tell you how uncomfortable felt after driving with my foot on the pedal for 10 hours. Even today, 24 hours later, I have pain in my right leg. Tesla, Cadillac, Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes - every other car that tows - allows basic cruise control when towing. I'm not asking for land keeping though the Cadillac does allow Supercruise hand free even when towing. I'm hoping for simple radar cruise control on an upcoming update. This was not implemented with the 3.6 update.
I'm absolutely delighted with my GTT. Most of the software glitches were corrected with 3.5.7 and the door locks are much more responsive with 3.6. I haven't had a chance to check hands free driving yet.
For those of you reporting software glitches, rest assured that every EV I've owned - 2 Model Ss, 1 Model X, Mercedes 580, BMW i7, Cadillac Vistiq - all have had their share of software issues that gradually improved with updates. I would admit that the Tesla's might be the least problematic but then again, they're a software company that happens to produce automobiles. The overall driving experience of the GGT - handling, responsiveness, interior ambiance, audio system, space utilization - is right up there with my favorite EV, the BMW i7, that was turned in upon expiration of its lease before buying the Lucid.
RV: 2,500 pound Alto Safari, a single axle teardrop camper trailer with electric brakes
Elevations: Boise is at 3,000 feet elevation. Yellowstone is at approximately 7,800 feet elevation
Weather: wide variation in temperatures during the trips depending on location with values between 45 - 90 degrees F. Very strong wind gusts of 25-30 miles per hour on the return trip to Boise between Twin Falls and Boise.
Speed: maintained fairly constant speeds between 62 - 67 mph.
Car load: 2 adults with approximately 150 lbs cargo
Charging: 3 Tesla SCs along the route plus one CCS charger 110 miles from Yellowstone
Pros:
* Given the huge horsepower and torque of the GGT it wasn't surprising that I barely felt that I was towing an additional 2,500 lbs, regardless of speed or slope of the road.
* Excellent stability with minimal sway despite very high winds at various locations. The GTT's handling is superb even when hauling 2,500 pounds.
* Lucid supplied tow hitch easy to install, though I had experience with this device as it's the same one used by Tesla on their model X.
* Automatic light checks performed automatically and flawlessly upon connection of the 7 pin electrical connection between the GGT and RV.
* Brake controller also performed flawlessly and was very easy to test and adjust.
* 2 of the 3 Tesla SCs I used allowed me to pull into the charger without unhooking the RV. This was also possible at the CCS site in Ashton, Idaho. When I did need to unhook the RV to charge it was a quick process to rebook the RV. The backup cameras in "hitch" mode are very accurate.
* The Gravity's storage space is amazing. I was able to store my Blackstone griddle in the frunk along with the portable charging cable.
Cons:
* My overall dynamic range was 1.53 miles/kwh, only slightly better than the performance of the Model X or Cadillac Vistiq. The efficiency ratings in Trip Information varied between 1.4 - 1.7 depending upon elevations, temperature, and wind resistance. I get 3.4 - 3.5 miles/kwh when driving around Boise without the RV. So, a 50% reduction in efficiency was not surprising as this is common among all electric and ICE vehicles that tow. The aerodynamic penalty induced by a trailer is very severe at speeds over 40-45 mph.
* My major complaint is something that Lucid must fix. All Dreamdrive functions are suspended when towing. I can't tell you how uncomfortable felt after driving with my foot on the pedal for 10 hours. Even today, 24 hours later, I have pain in my right leg. Tesla, Cadillac, Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes - every other car that tows - allows basic cruise control when towing. I'm not asking for land keeping though the Cadillac does allow Supercruise hand free even when towing. I'm hoping for simple radar cruise control on an upcoming update. This was not implemented with the 3.6 update.
I'm absolutely delighted with my GTT. Most of the software glitches were corrected with 3.5.7 and the door locks are much more responsive with 3.6. I haven't had a chance to check hands free driving yet.
For those of you reporting software glitches, rest assured that every EV I've owned - 2 Model Ss, 1 Model X, Mercedes 580, BMW i7, Cadillac Vistiq - all have had their share of software issues that gradually improved with updates. I would admit that the Tesla's might be the least problematic but then again, they're a software company that happens to produce automobiles. The overall driving experience of the GGT - handling, responsiveness, interior ambiance, audio system, space utilization - is right up there with my favorite EV, the BMW i7, that was turned in upon expiration of its lease before buying the Lucid.
