How Stellantis and Rivian Plan to Simplify EV Flat-Towing

Stellantis and Rivian are developing innovative solutions to make flat-towing EVs safer and more efficient. Learn about their patents and how they could change EV towing in the future.

Flat-towing electric vehicles remains a technical challenge. Unlike internal combustion cars, which can be shifted into neutral or have their driveshafts disengaged, EVs have a more complex connection between their wheels and motors. Incorrect towing methods can lead to severe damage. However, automakers Stellantis and Rivian are working on solutions to make EV towing safer and more accessible.

A patent published on January 30, 2025, details Stellantis’ method for reducing resistance in EV motors when being towed. Their solution involves using a high-voltage bus to induce field weakening in permanent magnet synchronous motors, reducing their torque and allowing the wheels to spin more freely without being actively connected to the battery.

A similar patent from Rivian describes a software-based method to disengage rear motors while keeping a small amount of torque on the front wheels. This prevents the EV from rolling out of sync with the towing vehicle, improving stability during transport.

Although there is no confirmation on when these technologies will be implemented in production vehicles, their potential is significant. They could make flat-towing EVs easier for RV owners and simplify the recovery of stranded electric cars, reducing reliance on expensive flatbed tow trucks.

These developments also raise broader industry questions—could we see standardized towing solutions across different automakers in the future? For now, the focus remains on how quickly these innovations can transition from patents to real-world applications.

Source: greencarreports.com