
The Electric Tow Bar is also integrated with an interface to provide a 12V power supply for the towed vehicle and display movement information of the vehicle combination, thus not only allowing the power supply to electrical appliances of the towed vehicle, but also enabling the signal set of the towed vehicle to keep in line with that of the car, as well as to signal to the cars behind the information such as braking, steering, reversing and marker lighting in real time.ĮL7's hidden Electric Tow Bar has passed a total of 10 regulatory tests across Europe, the US and China regarding quality, size, braking, connectivity, lighting and signaling, etc. Meanwhile, the overall construction has been redesigned for motorized storage. The bumper made of 8-10mm thick steel provides an impact and fatigue resistance sufficient to sustain the normal use of hardware throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle without fracture or deformation. To cater for the higher strength and rigidity required in towing, the new components are made of ductile high-strength and ultra-high-strength alloy steels. With such design, it achieves the design goals which includes 2,000kg-maximum towing capacity, safer driving, life-cycle robustness, stylish appearance and user friendliness. NIO EL7 is equipped with a hidden Electric Tow Bar which includes a power supply function for the rear vehicle, and supports information transmission from a trailer signal set it is not hardware simply attached to the rear bumper, but a holistically designed “tow hook and bumper assembly” which combines towing, protection, storage and communication. Those non-foldable tow hooks not only compromised the appearance of the vehicle, but could also cause more damage when a rear-end collision took place.Īs the regulations improved, some cars started employing removable or manually foldable tow hooks, while luxury cars began to carry hidden easy-to-use electric tow hooks. To tow a caravan, early vehicles were fitted with tow hooks, varying in strength levels, directly on the bumper.
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How to make the tow hook more secure and reliable In Europe and the United States where there is a mature caravan market, the trailer caravan accounts for 90% of the total number of caravans, and most of the cars are provided with a towing option as they are sold, or even with a towing module as standard. Containing no engine, it features lower manufacturing costs and more usage scenarios, and could be towed around by a family car with towing functions. The trailer caravan (or camper) is a “house that could be towed away”. It offers a better functional integration, but comes with higher acquisition costs and limited usage scenarios. The self-propelled caravan is “a house that could be driven”, which has its living functions arranged on the chassis of pickup trucks and minibuses featuring larger size and greater carrying capacity. Instead of lightweight tents, richer families would purchase better-equipped caravans to carry the things they need.Ĭaravans, according to how they are driven, are divided into two categories, namely self-propelled and towed. In the 1950s, as the world economy recovered rapidly after the war, both the boom of the automobile industry and the increase of disposable income contributed to turning road trips into one of the most popular weekend getaways for the middle class in Europe and America. To load the equipment necessary for camping and hunting as well as to have a comfortable rest area during their breaks, affluent people with a passion for outdoor activities created “horse-drawn caravans” in imitation of the gypsy “caravans”, which then turned into a popular outdoor activity.

Zuo, NIO's Trailer Mode Engineer, to share with us some more detailed technical highlights of the Electric Tow Bar and tips for traveling with a caravan or trailer in tow.Ĭaravan travel can be traced back to the early 19th century in Europe. Zhou, NIO's Towing Experience Manager, and Z. In this edition of Tech Talk, we invited H. Where did travelling with a caravan in tow originate? How does the Electric Tow Bar on NIO EL7 perform? What preprations should be made when using the towing function? Mid-to-high-end cars sold in Europe and North America, especially SUVs and station wagons, are usually equipped with hidden towbars which are both good-looking and reliable.
