The reason for this has to do with the additional weight of the battery pack, as well as the fact that the powertrain is designed for efficiency and fuel economy. https://toyota.com.mt/can-you-tow-with-a-hybrid-car/
AI:
Hybrid cars generally have lower towing capacities compared to their petrol counterparts for a few key reasons:
Weight: Hybrid vehicles are typically heavier than equivalent petrol models due to the additional components like batteries and electric motors. This extra weight reduces the available payload capacity for towing.
Power delivery: While hybrids can be powerful, their power delivery is different from traditional petrol engines. The electric motor assists the petrol engine, but may not provide the same sustained power output needed for heavy towing.
Cooling systems: Towing puts additional strain on a vehicle's cooling system. Hybrid powertrains may have more limited cooling capacity compared to petrol engines optimized for towing.
Battery drain: When towing, the extra weight causes the hybrid system's battery to drain more quickly, reducing efficiency and potentially limiting performance.
Regenerative braking limitations: The regenerative braking systems in hybrids may not be as effective when towing heavy loads, putting more stress on the conventional brakes.
Transmission considerations: Some hybrid transmissions may not be as robust or optimized for heavy towing compared to transmissions in petrol tow vehicles.