Iveco has set a new towing record for an EV, with the eDaily electric van having successfully hauled more than 153 tonnes.
The electric Iveco eDaily was almost entirely standard, with the only modification being the tow bar – the usual version not being up to pulling something of this weight.
Iveco cobbled together several of its larger vehicles to make up the weight in its bid to set the new official record, with the eDaily hitched up to an Iveco X-Way Strator truck carrying a 50-tonne earth mover. This was attached to an X-Way 8×4 tipper truck, with an all-terrain airport fire truck completing the train. To add an extra bit of bulk to proceedings, Iveco recruited Britain’s Strongest Man Adam Bishop to drive the eDaily.
Previous record smashed
The total weight of the vehicles the eDaily was tasked with towing came to 153.58 tonnes, which smashed the previous record by more than 20 tonnes. The previous best was set by a Tesla Model X in 2018, when the family SUV successfully towed a Boeing 787.
That set the record at just over 130 tonnes, so Iveco didn’t just ease past it by adding a tonne or two, it obliterated it.
What makes it more impressive is that the eDaily, as well as being totally standard, was a rear-wheel drive van, so it had fewer driven wheels than the all-wheel drive Tesla that it took the record off. It was fitted with the usual 140kW drivetrain that produces 400Nm of torque.
It had to make its way along the 100ft course on the runway at Blackbushe Airport in Surrey, and Iveco chose to head up the slight gradient so there was no accusation of it using gravity to gain an advantage. Official Guinness World Record invigilators were in attendance to ensure everything was done in accordance with the rules.
Driver Bishop put the eDaily in Hi-power mode – this mode providing extra busts of power to aid towing – and did little more than press the pedal to the floor.
The standard eDaily boasts a full 3,500kg maximum towing weight, which is a lot more than most electric vans. The Maxus eDeliver 9 is one of the better ones with a 1,500kg capacity while the Ford E-Transit only boasts 750kg on the heaviest version. Others, like the Fiat E-Ducato don’t quote a towing weight at all.
