Real-World Range, Real-World Confidence: What TrekDrive Did on a 200-Mile Loop in Northern California

The lab is the lab. The real world is the true test.

When you tow a travel trailer through stop-and-go city traffic, up winding mountain roads, across windy river valleys, and back over the bridge at freeway speeds, everything shows up: aerodynamics, rolling resistance, thermal loads, grades, driver behavior, and how well the entire system manages energy.

So we took Lightship AE.1 out and ran a real-world loop, because if we’re going to claim TrekDrive revolutionizes towing, the numbers have to speak for themselves.

Over the past week, we ran two real-world routes with electric trucks. Below is one of them in detail, along with the raw data and what it tells us about what TrekDrive can do today and how we’ll keep making it better.

Why we run real loops (instead of only quoting lab numbers)

Standardized testing has value. It’s repeatable. It’s comparable. It’s controlled.

But towing is rarely controlled.

Real towing includes:

• Constant speed changes (especially near cities and on two-lane roads)
• Rolling terrain and real climbs
• Crosswinds and variable air density
• Traffic patterns and route choices
• Driver inputs that can swing efficiency dramatically

That’s exactly why we do these real loops: to validate performance where it actually matters, and to capture both quantitative results and qualitative “feel” observations that help us refine the system.

The premise: TrekDrive + aerodynamics should unlock EV towing

For some, diesel will always be the preferred way to tow and the AE.1 brings real efficiency gains to that setup. We partnered with The Fast Lane Truck to show just how powerful those gains are - you can watch the video, here. For others, the goal is to stay all-electric, and Lightship unlocks towing for them in a way traditional trailers cannot.

We believe this comes from two things working together:

1. TrekDrive: our proprietary electric propulsion system on the trailer that can contribute propulsion and manage energy intelligently across a drive, rather than asking the tow vehicle to do all the work.

2. Vehicle aerodynamics: lowering the canopy of the AE.1 to inline with the tow vehicle creates a 300% reduction in the aerodynamic penalty of towing, especially at highway speeds where drag dominates.

In a typical towing scenario, the tow vehicle has to supply essentially all the tractive effort required for:

• aerodynamic drag
• rolling resistance
• elevation gain
• acceleration events

TrekDrive changes that equation by allowing the trailer to actively participate, instead of the truck pulling the entire time.

The “Wine Country / Russian River” loop

Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025

Tow vehicle: Ford F-150 Lightning XLT “Flash” (Extended Range, 2024 model)

Trailer: 2026 Lightship AE.1 Atmos

Total distance: 196 miles

Route type: city + winding mountain/coastal roads + river roads + freeway return

Weather: 50s–60s °F, overcast, mild crosswinds

Speeds (typical):

• Stop-and-go through San Francisco
• 25–50 mph on coastal/mountain sections
• 50–60 mph on river road sections (connecting to 101)
• 60–65 mph on freeway back to SF, with traffic over the Bay Bridge

The goal

We designed this loop to do two things:

1. Demonstrate performance in rolling and mountainous terrain (where towing loads vary constantly).

2. Show the potential to reach a destination that would otherwise be “out of bounds” for many EV truck owners towing conventional trailers—without turning the day into a charging scavenger hunt.

The specific “unlock” destination we were thinking about: Russian River, a place many EV truck drivers would hesitate to tow to without planning charging stops around trailer-unfriendly stations.

The benchmark (what most people experience)

A common benchmark for the Lightning Extended Range when towing a large, conventional travel trailer is ~90 miles of range (real-world experiences vary widely, but this gives a directional comparison point).

Starting conditions and end result

Departure state of charge (SOC):

Truck: 100%

Trailer: 96%

Return state of charge (SOC):

Truck: 29%

Trailer: 29%

Measured energy consumed over the loop:

Truck: 93 kWh

Trailer: 47 kWh

What the numbers say (and why they matter)

1) Truck efficiency while towing: 2.11 mi/kWh

We covered 196 miles while the truck used 93 kWh.

That’s:

196 miles ÷ 93 kWh = 2.11 mi/kWh average

For context, the same truck towing a larger conventional trailer might see something closer to ~0.69 mi/kWh (directionally), which is why EV towing often feels range-constrained.

The key point isn’t that you should expect the exact same number on every route—it’s that this is real terrain, real traffic, real speed variability, and the truck still averaged over 2 miles per kWh while towing.

2) The AE.1 contributed meaningful energy: 47 kWh

The trailer consumed 47 kWh over the same 196 miles.

That matters because it represents real propulsion and/or energy support the tow vehicle didn’t have to provide.

If we look at the combined energy used by the system:

Total (truck + trailer) = 93 + 47 = 140 kWh

System-level efficiency = 196mi ÷ 140kWh = 1.40 mi/kWh

Why look at it this way? Because it helps separate two concepts:

• Tow-vehicle efficiency experienced by the driver (what most people care about for “can I get there?” planning)
• Total energy required to move the combined rig (useful for engineering comparisons and continuous improvement work)

In this run, roughly one-third of the total energy came from the trailer (47 out of 140 kWh ≈ 34%). That’s a big deal in towing, where the tow vehicle usually bears nearly 100% of the load.

3) We finished with 29% SOC on both truck and trailer

Ending with ~29% on both packs after a 196-mile mixed route provides a practical takeaway:

This wasn’t a “white-knuckle” run where we limped home on fumes. We finished with a meaningful buffer, which is exactly the kind of margin that turns EV towing from stressful to normal.

What this test suggests TrekDrive is capable of (today)

Based on this single loop, here’s what TrekDrive demonstrated in real conditions:

A) Extending practical towing range without forcing charging stops

The route profile (city + winding grades + freeway) is exactly where many EV towing setups get punished. TrekDrive helped us complete a full 196-mile loop and return with 29% remaining on both systems—supporting the idea that certain destinations become “day-trip towable” that otherwise wouldn’t be.

B) Smoothing performance across terrain changes

In rolling terrain, you’re constantly transitioning between:

• light load,
• climbing load,
• deceleration,
• re-acceleration.

A passive trailer just follows and drags. A powered trailer can actively participate, which helps the rig feel more composed and less strained—especially in the transitions.

C) Making the “efficiency penalty” of towing less brutal

Towing will always cost energy. The goal isn’t to pretend physics doesn’t exist—it’s to reduce the penalty enough that EV owners can tow with confidence.

This run indicates the penalty can be dramatically reduced compared to conventional towing setups.

D) Creating flexibility for time at camp

Chances are you’re not driving to the Russian River only to turn around and head straight back home. The whole point is to get there and actually enjoy being there. We finished the loop with 29% SOC left on the trailer, which gives you room to do exactly that. You might: 

• Plug into shore power at Casini Ranch Campground and enjoy the buffer, even take the extra-scenic route home. Or;
• In ideal conditions, spend a couple of days boondocking  and charge at the pull-through Electrify America in Rohnert Park on your way back if need be. 

It all adds up to more freedom at the destination, not just more reach on the road.

Important caveats (because we care about truth, not hype)

This is one real-world loop. Real results vary.

Efficiency will change with:

• speed (drag rises rapidly with speed)
• wind direction and intensity
• temperature and HVAC loads
• elevation gain
• tire pressure and road surface
• payload and trailer loading
• traffic conditions
• driving style

That’s also why we’re not stopping here.

The bigger takeaway

We built TrekDrive because we didn’t think “towing has to be a range nightmare” was an acceptable permanent truth, especially as EV trucks become more common and people want to bring real comfort into the places they love.

This loop reinforced what we’ve believed from the start:

When trailer aerodynamics and an intelligent, powered propulsion system work together, EV towing stops being a limitation and starts being a capability.

More loops, more data, and more transparent updates to come. This run is one piece of that bigger effort, though the on-the-road experience adds a layer the numbers can’t show. To hear how it actually felt and what stood out along the way, Ben shares more in the video linked, here.