Hyundai Ioniq 5 Towing Capacity
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is rated to tow 2,300 lb in AWD form (about 1,650 lb for RWD), with a hitch fitted — it is not a 3,500 lb tow vehicle in the US. Expect roughly 166 miles of real-world range near that rating behind a boxy trailer.
Verified May 2026.
Ioniq 5 towing specs and limits
The Ioniq 5 tows 2,300 lb as an all-wheel-drive car; rear-wheel-drive models are rated lower, around 1,650 lb. The hitch is an accessory rather than standard equipment, so a tow-ready Ioniq 5 needs a dealer- or aftermarket-installed receiver. Behind the rating sits a 77kWh battery on Hyundai-Kia's 800-volt E-GMP platform, which DC fast-charges from 10–80% in about 18minutes when you're not towing.
- Max tow rating (AWD): 2,300 lb
- Max tow rating (RWD): ~1,650 lb
- Battery: 77 kWh
- EPA range (unladen): 303 mi
- Energy use (unladen): 30 kWh per 100 mi
- Recommended tongue weight: 10–15% of the loaded trailer (230–345 lb at the rating)
- Peak DC fast charge: 235 kW
- Onboard AC charging: 11 kW
The limits worth knowing before you buy a trailer
The Ioniq 5 is a compact crossover, not a truck, and its rating is built for light, occasional loads — a teardrop camper, a utility trailer, jet skis, a small boat. It is not a travel-trailer or toy-hauler vehicle, and no hitch upgrade changes that: the receiver is not what limits you, the car's rating is.
The other limit is the one people miss. Because trailer brakes only become a legal requirement somewhere around 3,000 lb in most US states, and the Ioniq 5 tops out below that, essentially every trailer it can pull is unbraked — so the car has no integrated trailer brake controller and most owners never need one. Stay inside the rating and the setup stays simple.
Towing range estimates by trailer weight
The Ioniq 5's 303 mi EPA figure assumes an empty car on flat ground in mild weather. Towing changes all three at once, and the loss is dominated by aerodynamics — a square trailer punches a much bigger hole in the air than its weight alone suggests. Every row below holds the speed at 65 mph and changes only the load.
| Load | Weight | Towing range* (65 mph) |
|---|---|---|
| Teardrop camper | 1,000 lb | ~227 mi |
| Small utility trailer | 1,500 lb | ~198 mi |
| Two jet skis + trailer | 1,800 lb | ~208 mi |
| Small boat + trailer | 2,300 lb | ~205 mi |
| Small box camper at max rating | 2,300 lb | ~166 mi |
*Estimates from EVMath's towing model (aerodynamic drag + trailer weight, calibrated against independent EV road tests) at a steady 65 mph in mild weather. Cold, hills, and headwinds lower every figure. Every load listed is within the 2,300 lb rating.
Look at the last two rows: the same 2,300 lb weighs the same on the ball, but the boat trailer goes 39 miles farther than the box camper. Shape, not weight, is what drains an EV behind a trailer.
How speed changes it
Aerodynamic drag scales with the square of speed, so the single cheapest thing you can do for towing range is slow down. Below: the same small box camper at the 2,300 lb rating, driven at four different speeds.
| Speed | Towing range* | vs 65 mph |
|---|---|---|
| 55 mph | ~188 mi | +22 mi |
| 65 mph | ~166 mi | — |
| 70 mph | ~156 mi | -10 mi |
| 75 mph | ~146 mi | -20 mi |
Near the rating the Ioniq 5 tows about 166 miles at 65 mph, so a 10–80% fast charge returns roughly 116 usable miles per stop. That sounds tight, and it is — but the Ioniq 5 recovers that charge in about 18 minutes on an 800-volt DC charger, which is the shortest towing pit stop in this class.
Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV6 vs Tesla Model Y
The Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 share the E-GMP platform and the same tow rating — for towing they're interchangeable. The Tesla Model Y is the meaningful step up: it's the compact EV crossover that actually carries the 3,500 lb rating people often assume the Ioniq 5 has. Each car below is pulling the same 2,000 lb box trailer at 65 mph — comparing them at their own max ratings would compare different trailers.
| Vehicle | Max tow | Hitch | EPA range | Towing range* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 2,300 lb | optional | 303 mi | ~167 mi |
| Kia EV6 | 2,300 lb | optional | 310 mi | ~171 mi |
| Tesla Model Y | 3,500 lb | optional | 326 mi | ~179 mi |
*Estimated with EVMath's towing model for a 2,000 lb box trailer at 65 mph — a load all three cars are rated to pull. Tow ratings are the AWD figures from EVMath's model data.
The read: if your trailer is under 2,300 lb, all three work and the Ioniq 5 gives up only a handful of miles to the others behind the same load. If your trailer is over it, the Ioniq 5 is out on rating alone — no amount of range makes an unrated car legal behind a heavier trailer. See the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y towing breakdowns for each car's own numbers.
Estimate your own trailer
The calculator below is preloaded with the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Change the trailer weight, shape, and speed to model the load you'll actually pull.
Vehicle
⚠ This exceeds the Hyundai Ioniq 5's 2,300 lb max tow rating. Don't tow above the manufacturer limit.
Trailer shape
Standard box-front travel trailer or small RV — shape matters more than weight at highway speed.
Estimated range while towing
155 mi
vs 303 mi EPA unladen
Range lost
−49%
51% of EPA range remains
Plan a charging stop roughly every 124 mi when towing — you want to stop and recharge before dropping below ~20%, and DC fast sites that fit a truck and trailer are still scarce.
Where the range went
- Aerodynamic drag−117 mi
- Trailer weight−31 mi
- Consumption vs unladen×1.95
For the full tool and more presets, open the EV towing range calculator, or read why EVs lose range when towing for the physics behind these numbers.
Required towing accessories
The Ioniq 5 leaves the factory without a hitch, so the shopping list starts there. Within the 2,300 lbrating the setup is genuinely simple — four parts and you're towing.
- Class II receiver hitch. A trailer up to 2,300 lbsits in Class I–II territory. A Class II receiver (rated to ~3,500 lb) gives comfortable margin over the car's rating. Buy one made for the Ioniq 5 — it bolts to existing points in the rear subframe, and an Ioniq 5-specific hitch avoids drilling near the battery pack.
- Trailer wiring harness.A vehicle-specific harness taps the Ioniq 5's lighting for the trailer's 4-pin connector. Don't splice a generic harness into an EV's wiring.
- Ball mount and hitch ball. Rated at or above your loaded trailer weight, with enough drop or rise to tow the trailer level. Keep tongue weight at 10–15% of the load (230–345 lb at the rating).
- No brake controller, in almost every case. Trailers under the ~3,000 lb state threshold are unbraked, and that covers everything the Ioniq 5 is rated to pull. Only a braked trailer needs an aftermarket controller.
One Ioniq 5-specific bonus: vehicle-to-load (V2L). With a V2L adapter on the charge port, the car becomes a 120V outlet at the campsite — lights, a cooler, tools, a coffee maker — powered from a battery big enough that a weekend barely dents it.
Gear we'd look at
Ioniq 5 towing gear: hitch, wiring, and campsite power
The Ioniq 5 needs a hitch fitted before it tows anything, and towing means charging more often at more kinds of plugs. These are the categories that actually matter for a 2,300 lb load.
Ioniq 5-specific Class II receiver hitch
Bolt-on, no drilling near the pack
A vehicle-specific Class II hitch mounts to the Ioniq 5's existing rear subframe points and is rated well above the car's 2,300 lb limit. Confirm the listing names the Ioniq 5 and your model year — generic universal hitches are the wrong call on an EV.
Shop on Amazon →
Vehicle-specific trailer wiring harness
Powers the trailer's lights from the Ioniq 5
A plug-and-play 4-pin harness made for the Ioniq 5 taps the factory lighting connectors without splicing. Trailer lights are a legal requirement in every state, so this is not the part to improvise on.
Shop on Amazon →
Adjustable ball mount with 2" hitch ball
Tow the trailer level, rated above your load
An adjustable-drop ball mount levels the trailer behind a crossover's ride height, and a 2" ball is the standard size at this weight class. Check that the stamped rating exceeds your loaded trailer weight.
Shop on Amazon →
V2L adapter for the Ioniq 5 charge port
Turns the car into a campsite outlet
The Ioniq 5's vehicle-to-load feature outputs household AC from the charge port with an adapter — lights, a cooler, or power tools at a site with no hookup. It's the accessory that makes an Ioniq 5 genuinely good at camping despite the modest tow rating.
Shop on Amazon →
Portable Level 2 charger with NEMA adapters
Make campground pedestals a charging stop
Towing halves your range, so you top up wherever you can. A dual-voltage portable with NEMA 14-50, TT-30, and 5-15 adapters turns RV-park pedestals and dryer outlets into usable charging while the trailer stays hitched.
Shop on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate EVMath earns from qualifying purchases. Product links are sponsored and go to Amazon search results, not specific listings — verify specs, amperage, and connector type before buying.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 towing capacity?+
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is rated to tow 2,300 lb in AWD form with a hitch fitted. Rear-wheel-drive models carry a lower rating of about 1,650 lb. The hitch is a dealer or aftermarket accessory rather than factory equipment, so a tow-ready Ioniq 5 needs a receiver installed first.
Can the Hyundai Ioniq 5 tow 3,500 lbs?+
Not in the US. Hyundai's US tow rating for the Ioniq 5 is 2,300 lb (AWD) — the 3,500 lb figure you'll see quoted usually belongs to something else. Hyundai publishes higher braked-trailer ratings for the Ioniq 5 in other markets, and 3,500 lb happens to be the US rating for the Tesla Model Y, a common cross-shop. If you need 3,500 lb behind a US-registered car, the Ioniq 5 isn't rated for it; the Model Y is.
How far can the Hyundai Ioniq 5 tow on a single charge?+
Plan on roughly 166 miles behind a small box camper near the 2,300 lb rating at 65 mph. The Ioniq 5's EPA range is 303 mi, and a boxy trailer roughly cuts that in half. A low teardrop is far kinder — about 227 miles. The upside is charging speed: the 800-volt Ioniq 5 refills 10–80% in about 18 minutes, so the stops are short even if they're frequent.
Does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 need a trailer brake controller?+
Usually not. Trailer brakes are required in most US states somewhere around 3,000 lb, and the Ioniq 5 isn't rated to tow that much — so nearly every trailer it can legally pull is an unbraked one. The Ioniq 5 has no integrated trailer brake controller; if you tow a braked trailer you'd add an aftermarket unit and wire it to the trailer's connector. Confirm your state's threshold before your first trip.
What accessories do you need to tow with an Ioniq 5?+
A Class II receiver hitch, a trailer wiring harness, and a ball mount with a hitch ball rated above your loaded trailer weight. Keep tongue weight at 10–15% of the load (230–345 lb at the rating). The Ioniq 5's vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability is the bonus accessory — with a V2L adapter the car powers tools, lights, or a cooler at the campsite once you arrive.
Is the Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 better for towing?+
They're effectively tied. The Ioniq 5 and EV6 share Hyundai-Kia's E-GMP platform and the same 2,300 lb AWD tow rating, with near-identical battery and charging hardware. The EV6's slightly longer EPA range gives it a handful of extra miles behind the same trailer (171 vs 167 miles behind a 2,000 lb box trailer), but that's a rounding error, not a reason to choose. Pick on body style and price.
Related calculators and guides
- EV towing range calculator — estimate the Ioniq 5's range for a specific trailer weight, shape, and speed.
- Best EVs for towing in 2026 — every EV that can tow, ranked.
- Kia EV6 towing capacity — the Ioniq 5's E-GMP twin, same 2,300 lb rating.
- Tesla Model Y towing capacity — the 3,500 lb compact crossover cross-shop.
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 full specs
- Hyundai EV buyer guide
Tow ratings, range, and consumption figures from EVMath's shared model data (manufacturer and EPA sources, 2025–2026 model years). The 2,300 lbrating is the US AWD figure; the RWD rating is approximate, and Hyundai publishes different braked-trailer ratings in other markets — use the figure in your own owner's manual. Real-world towing range is an estimate from EVMath's towing model, not a manufacturer figure. Hitch-class and trailer-brake guidance is general — verify against your trailer's ratings, Hyundai's owner documentation, and your state's towing laws before hauling.