Towing

Eric,
Not sure if this is relevant, but I occasionally tow a shifter kart on an open trailer. The kart and trailer weighs about 400 lbs. I tow this on the open highway at speeds up to 70mph and over moderate hills( in the Denver area). Even with the thin air, it hasn't been a problem. It does take a mileage hit, and the car is a bit slugish but not too bad. I would guess that 875 lbs is close to the limit, but if you are just pulling it 200 feet I would guess it could do it. Just stay out of the water!

 

If you're only going a short distance like 200ft, there shouldn't be a problem.

The major issue with towing is it the added stress on the componenets and especially the heat created by the engine, motors, and inverter. They would be pulling a lot more power than designed for, especially if the car was loaded up as well. Brakes are an issue in a conventioanl vehicle, I would assume the Prius's brakes would be OK since the MGs would take most of the hit, but I really have no idea. If this is the summer with the AC going, there'd be a ton of extra heat to get rid of. If the battery gets hot the computer tries to use it less to prevent damage, there'd be a real performance issue trying to pull a trailer & loaded vehicle with the engine alone.

There wouldn't be these issues in a short tow like that. I personally wouldn't take 875lbs on the highway or distance, but maybe someone has?