Analysis of towing energy demand from a 186-mile trip

It is really interesting to begin to see real-world data. This was a 186-mile trip completed with an average speed of 47 MPH. I asked Grok 4 to analyze the results. The bottom line is that the “towing demand” (energy required in addition to tow vehicle demand) was 487 Wh/mi at 47 MPH to pull the Pebble on that trip. To move over long distances, it would be interesting to see the same analysis at an average speed of 62 MPH, a typical trailer highway speed.

This towing demand (487 Wh/mi using the correct average) is higher than Pebble's assisted benchmarks (e.g., ~236 Wh/mi penalty in Rivian tests at 55 MPH, based on 556 Wh/mi assisted minus ~320 Wh/mi solo equivalent), but that's expected given the mixed modes here—only the longest segment (86.48 miles, 44% of distance) had assist on, yielding a lower 655 Wh/mi (demand ~335 Wh/mi). The recharge and off modes spiked usage (879–992 Wh/mi, demands 559–672 Wh/mi), pulling up the overall. At 47 MPH, drag is lower, but terrain (hills/headwinds on Hwy 101) and mode switching offset gains. If assist was on throughout (as in the blog's implied setup), the demand would likely drop to 200–300 Wh/mi, aligning better with claims of 25–60% range extensions vs. traditional RVs.

In summary, your method is sound, but use the weighted average (807 Wh/mi combined) for accuracy, leading to a 487 Wh/mi towing demand. This reflects a test with variable modes rather than full assist, explaining why it “exceeded assisted expectations” despite the low speed. If this isn't the combined (e.g., if the spreadsheet shows Cybertruck-only and Pebble usage is additive), the demand would be even higher without accounting for assist contributions—let me know if you have Pebble-specific data from the sheet for refinement.