A Saturday morning, heading to the recycling centre in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert with a trailer full of branches and two bags of rubble. The question I asked myself before switching to electric: can my EV handle this without fuss? Short answer: yes, as long as you check three things before hitching anything.
Can You Tow a Trailer with an Electric Car in Belgium?
Yes, provided the vehicle is type-approved for towing by its manufacturer. It's not about the powertrain — it's about the registration certificate.
Check your Belgian registration certificate (certificat d'immatriculation), field F3 — MTRA (Maximum Total Rolling Authorised mass). If a value is listed, the EV can tow. If the field is blank or zero, towing is prohibited, even with an aftermarket towbar installed.
The towing capacity is simply: MTRA (field F3) minus MTMA (field F2). On a Tesla Model Y, the MTRA is 3,680 kg and the MTMA is 2,087 kg, giving 1,593 kg of capacity — rounded to 1,600 kg by Tesla. More than enough for a recycling centre trailer (300–500 kg loaded) or a local move.
The catch: many electric city cars are not approved for towing at all. The Renault 5 E-Tech, Peugeot e-208, and Fiat 500e all have zero towing capacity. For towing, you generally need an SUV or crossover.
What If My Registration Certificate Doesn't Show an MTRA?
No MTRA on the certificate means no towing allowed, full stop. This applies to most electric city cars and compacts. Installing an aftermarket towbar doesn't change the vehicle's type approval. You would bear full liability in case of an accident, and insurance would not cover it.
What Driving Licence Do You Need to Tow a Trailer in Belgium?
A standard B licence is enough if the combined vehicle + loaded trailer doesn't exceed 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass (MAM). Above that, you need the B+code 96 or BE licence.
The issue with EVs is that they're heavy. A Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD weighs 2,100 kg unladen. Add a 1,600 kg braked trailer loaded up, and the combination hits 3,700 kg — above the B licence threshold. You then need the B+code 96, obtained in Belgium through a 7-hour practical training at an approved driving school, with no theory exam required (source: SPF Mobility, 2026).
| Licence | Max combined MAM | Typical EV + trailer case |
|---|---|---|
| B | 3,500 kg | Light EV (< 1,800 kg) + trailer < 750 kg |
| B + code 96 | 4,250 kg | Standard EV (2,000 kg) + trailer 750–1,600 kg |
| BE | 7,000 kg | Heavy EV (> 2,200 kg) + trailer > 1,600 kg |
In practice, for common uses (recycling centre, Brico/Gamma DIY store runs, local moves), the B licence covers most situations. The 3,500 kg threshold is only exceeded when loading a large braked trailer behind a heavy SUV.
Which Electric Models Can Tow, and at What Price?
Recent electric SUVs and crossovers offer between 750 and 2,500 kg of braked towing capacity. City cars, on the other hand, cannot tow at all.
The table below lists six models available in Belgium with their towing capacity and indicative Belgian catalogue price (June 2026), excluding regional incentives.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model Y are the most popular choices for mixed family + towing use. At 1,600 kg capacity, they cover 90% of needs: utility trailers, bike vans, motorcycle carriers, small caravans. The BMW iX, at 2,500 kg, handles heavy loads (boats, large caravans), but its price puts it in a different league.
OEM Towbar or Aftermarket Kit?
The OEM towbar (factory option) is always preferable. It's covered by the warranty, type-approved for the stated towing capacity, and integrated with the vehicle's electronics (13-pin socket, reversing camera, trailer reverse assist).
An aftermarket towbar (Brink, Westfalia, GDW) is possible on some models, provided it's CE-approved and professionally installed. The Belgian vehicle inspection (contrôle technique) checks the towbar during its periodic review. Indicative price: €500–1,200 fitted, depending on the model.
How Much Range Do You Lose When Towing with an EV?
The range loss depends on the weight towed and speed. With a small utility trailer loaded at 400 kg, expect 15–25% loss. With a caravan, range is halved.
ADAC tests (2024) on a Kia EV6 with various attachments provide precise figures:
- Empty unbraked trailer: +1% consumption (negligible)
- Covered loaded trailer: +24% at 100 km/h
- Roof box: +21% at 130 km/h
- Bike rack on towbar: +8%
- Caravan: +103% (range halved)
For a Brussels–recycling centre run (10–15 km return), even at +24% consumption, the actual range loss is 3–5 km. In other words: invisible in daily use. The problem only arises on long trips with heavy loads.
Last November, I drove Brussels–Namur (65 km) with a covered trailer loaded with furniture, roughly 450 kg. The displayed consumption was 22.4 kWh/100 km versus the usual 17.8 kWh/100 km — a 26% increase, consistent with ADAC data. On a Model Y Long Range (533 km WLTP), that still leaves about 420 km of real-world urban range — more than enough for a local move.
Practical Tips for Towing with an EV in Belgium
A few points to keep in mind before hitching up.
Speed. In Belgium, the motorway speed limit with a trailer exceeding 750 kg MTMA is 90 km/h. On 70 or 90 km/h roads, standard limits apply. Driving at 90 instead of 120 km/h cuts the extra consumption roughly in half (source: ADAC, 2024).
Charging. Average charging bays are about 5 metres long. With a trailer, your combination measures 7–9 metres. On Ionity or Fastned stations along Belgian motorways (E40, E411), some bays allow drive-through access. For supermarket chargers (Lidl, Colruyt), detach the trailer before plugging in.
Planning. On a short trip (under 50 km return), no planning needed — range loss is negligible. On a long trip with a heavy load, halve the WLTP range and schedule a charging stop. Chargemap or A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) both factor in trailer loads for route calculations.
Tyres. The extra weight increases tyre pressure requirements. Check the "loaded" pressure recommendation in the vehicle manual before each towing trip. On most electric SUVs, that's 2.7–2.9 bar at the rear (versus 2.5 bar in normal use).
Where to Charge with a Trailer in Belgium?
Fastned stations (canopy-style, drive-through format) are the most practical with a trailer attached. You'll find them on the E40 (Drongen, Wetteren), E19 (Kontich), and E411 (Wavre). Ionity stations, often angled on motorway rest areas, sometimes require detaching. Allego chargers in shopping centre car parks (Woluwe Shopping, Docks Bruxsel) rarely have space for a towing setup.
