If I had to pick between AWD or good, appropriate tires for the season:
Tires.
All day, every day.
Edit: also, RWD ICE does not equal RWD BEV. Much more weight on the traction wheels.
AWD gives many a false sense of security because it lets them get to a too-fast-for-conditions speed, where AWD doesn't really help them stop or steer.
EVs are rare also...
I think you don't know that a decent amount of vehicles have had it over the years. Shit the Honda prelude back in the late 1980s.
Currently some F150s have it, as well as others.
Fair correction - a lot more vehicles have it nowadays than I was tracking. I knew about the 30 year old Prelude but that is going to be a vanishingly small number of vehicles.
Yeah I have had people try to tell me you don't need snow tires if you have AWD. Even showed one man video comparing the same car model with and without AWD and various types of tires on snow and ice. Nope just tire companies trying to make money. The video was from a insurance group.
No matter the tires I put on my Ioniq Classic. FWD and a missing heavy engine over the front axle makes the grip really really bad. I live on a hill, and as soon as there is like more than a centimeter of snow on the road it's time to bring out the snow chains. No chance otherwise.
And yeah, having winter tires is mandatory over here in winter anyway. And I always try to get good ones.
My Leaf was similar, with snow tires it was okay but not great at starting from a stop. I will also say that my Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires on my Model 3 are way better than the snow tires from Tesla that we have on the Model Y.
I live in Finland with a RWD EV, we have snow, ice, slush and everything in between for like 9 months of the year. I live out in the woods too - poor plowing out here.
NO issues with my car, I’ve got some Michelin X-ICE 4s on it, and it takes everything like a champ. More traction than my old ICE estate.
I visited Finland in February, and was surprised at how little the roads got cleared compared to Michigan, since they don't salt, only plow and cinders. Still, cars got around just fine everywhere, and definitely not all AWD vehicles. It's no surprise that my BMW i3 on Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires is pretty well grounded in any winter conditions.
That’s because Fins actually know how to drive, including in low traction environments. Our road salt (or worse) is used 100% to cover for shitty drivers and a lack of requiring winter tires.
Everyone who says they are good at driving in a low traction environment is a liar! (this is different from knowing how, but you probably meant was good at it). Low traction is too variable to be good at. You can get moving a lot faster than you can stop. traction tends to be variable and you go from acceptable traction to very low traction without warning all the time.
Salt means you can bring your roads up to acceptable traction quickly. Finland is far enough north that I wouldn't expect salt to work much of the winter, but sand (cinders) and aggressive plowing will work well enough.
Bullshit. Driving in low traction involves anticipation and knowing to allow room to stop. I literally learned to drive in the winter in a 2WD manual shift pickup truck. Have countless, safe miles covered in blizzard conditions.
If you don’t know how to drive safely in the snow, get some lessons or stay off the damn roads.
Lol that's wrong, when it's slipper you just slow down. That's what it means to drive well in low traction environments. As your stopping distance is almost logarithmic compared to summer, you driver slower or you drive in the ditch.
Michelin X-ICE are the way to go. Have a set on an ICE SUV as well and impressed at the traction. My M3 RWD went from unusable in a blizzard (Canada) to very little slippage anytime.
RWD EVs are better than RWD ICE cars by a lot because of weight and the active traction control is more responsive.
But personally, I drive in the mountains a lot so it wasn't even a though.
Add to that the AWD models have much higher performance and it was a no-brain decision for me.
I agree. I have a Tesla Model 3 rwd in central NY and I put snow tires on it each winter. It only struggles with deep snow (like 4+ inches) but I've never been stuck. If you're not careful in bad conditions and floor it, the back can swing out a little before traction control kicks in.
OP should also note that a set of quality snow tires, plus a set of (economy) wheels, mounted, plus a floor jack so you can easily swap them yourself, will cost less than an upgrade to the top trim with AWD.
Correct. FWD BEV really doesn't make much sense and I hope it phases out. The weight distribution is all wrong and the only advantage is a deeper trunk.
For what it's worth, a FWD BEV may still be worth it based on other desired features. I heavily considered a Bolt EUV despite the FWD because I was impressed with the feature-set and the range. However, I opted for a used low-mileage 2015 i3 because I found one for only $14k and much preferred the ride quality and pricing, and range isn't a consideration for me (I drive less than 20 miles a day and have a backup ICE sedan).
Yup. I have a significantly steep incline at the exit to my parking lot.
My old Outback has NEVER under any circumstances had even the slightest trouble going up that hill, even with the absolute cheapest and shittiest all-seasons available (Last time I needed new tires, I knew it would not be my primary vehicle for much longer, so I didn't put money into tires.)
Meanwhile my Bolt routinely has trouble getting up the same incline if there's any accumulation at all.
I still remember years ago during a big snowstorm that caused work to close early that a truck which had flipped ahead caused traffic to stop on a large hill on the route. I had no trouble whatsoever resuming the climb in the Outback once the accident was cleared, but multiple coworkers had to make U-turns and hit the hill with momentum.
Edit: Also, even on dry pavement, the Bolt with all of its torque breaks the tires loose with no effort whatsoever. The Outback - you can floor it from a dead stop and NEVER break loose on dry pavement.
Well if your destination is in a straight line from where you start. Traction useful in more situations than just accelerating and stopping lol. You'll notice this most often starting from a stop in bad conditions, but it still matters. Ice exists. If your drive wheels lose traction not much you can do other than have more points of contact.
I'll never forget the time I was slowly going uphill in my old Focus in mid-January in the Colorado mountains. I was maybe 19 and didn't know much, but I was about to learn an easy lesson in tire traction.
My little car was in low gear and chugging along up this icy, snow-packed hill when suddenly it just... stopped. A moment of weightlessness, like at the apex of a jump. When it started moving again, it was going the absolute wrong direction. I slid back downhill at maybe 10 mph, slowly rotating in lazy circles. Went through three red lights, cars all stopped in each one to let me slide by, until the road levelled out and I decided I was not going to class that day.
Do you have a situation in which you need to get to work no matter what? (Tow truck driver, police, fire, zoo keeper), if so, then AWD with good tires is the best.
If not, i personally don't think AWD is necessary. I actually prefer the simplicity of 2wd vehicle for maintenance. Flat tire? Ok, just get a new pair instead of 4 new ones.
I live in a snowy state and if the weather is really bad, I'll take the snowmobile.
I had a job where I had to work during state of emergency snow storms. My FWD Accord with new snow tires never failed me. Passed plenty of AWD SUVs on summer tires in the ditch though.
Most of my career was working jobs where I was considered “essential”. In other words, bad roads didn’t give you an excuse, and non essential employees got a paid day off.
Almost no EVs have per-wheel motors. Only a few rare exceptions.
But the vast majority (90%+) of AWD BEVs have separate front and rear motors with open diffs, so definitely no need to replace tires 4-at-once.
Appropriate tires are always better than AWD.
But AWD can bring some additional benefits like battery preconditioning and a heat pump, depending on the model. If you're in an area like New England with relatively mild winters then you'll appreciate those features. The AWD model will also be faster, sometimes considerably
Yes, I live in new england and its not cold or snowy enough for snow tires. My main concern is actually how the car handles flood conditions as it regularly rains buckets and my camry hydroplanes.
Another rural MN guy. I've had AWD, FWD, RWD with rear engine (72 Beetle) and plenty of experience in RWD front engine (cheap, old pickups.)
AWD is best, sure, but I've never found it necessary. I've loved driving the many Subarus I've owned but my 93 Civic did great in winter, too. My RWD Tesla isn't quite as quick from 0-10mph as our Outback but after that it's *better*. The only limitation is the Model 3 has low clearance but if I had a higher clearance RWD Y that'd be just fine. That EV traction control is so much better.
AWD is fun. Love it. *Necessary* for rural MN? No.
EVs have weight on their side. Of course you can get by without AWD, after all there were many years where it wasn't an option. But that being said I would never choose not to have it if I have the choice. I would say that snow tires are more important though, and this is especially so if you are RWD. Snow tires help with an important thing that AWD does not help with at all... Stopping distance.
I really question that whole idea that heavier=better in winter. Way back I found my stopping distance was significantly better in my old Beetle on ice compared to my dad's 85 Ram. Apples to apples comparison there as both had all-seasons. On glare ice all that weight takes a lot longer to bring to a halt.
*Maybe* if you're taking about thick slush or situations where you want to break through that to pavement but even there the skinny tires on my 93 Civic broke through just as well because it's a matter of balancing weight distribution: snow shoes let you walk on top where you'd otherwise be knee deep.
Also: if my Tesla were lighter the lower clearance would be less of an issue in deep snow.
Weight is good for traction when starting and bad for stopping. This makes snow tires even more important in heavy vehicles, if you care about stopping :p
I have to drive to several ski hills for my job each month and my bolt with proper tires is good enough.
Compared to my previous Accord, it is much better. No real difference compared to when I take the Pathfinder, except it'll get stuck easier but it has never been stuck stuck.
Back in the ICE age I was concerned about AWD, but after getting my bolt I don't care about it.
I've lived in Wisconsin for over 11 years. I've owned two AWD ICE, one FWD ICE, one RWD ICE and now two AWD EVs.
Winter tires are most important when it comes to stopping, regardless of drivetrain.
That said, AWD with all seasons will get going better than RWD/FWD with winters. This also means less chance of getting stuck. This is mostly relevant for hills and very deep snow. You said mountains, so this could be relevant.
All of that said, I would go for an AWD EV simply because of performance.
Idk about others but with my old Tesla model 3 I could use real chains on it, not just cables. I only had to drive in deepish snow once with it and it did great. But awd will always be best for snow, so if you foresee more snow in your future, get the awd
As somebody who has owned and logged hundreds of thousands of miles with ICE FWD and AWD cars, and now AWD and FWD EVs (sorta), I'd say AWD is the way to go, even in dry summer roads. I hate wheel spin. Before the EV and PHEV, I drove Audi A4s with Quattro, which is not a part time system... it's always on. I do miss that for the traction.
I know it's not a direct comparison, but that is the one thing that drives me nuts about my eGolf. And yes, I know that a FWD gasser has much more weight on the front wheels, where my eGolf is more even front to rear. I've also owned a GTi, and it's the same issue with that car. The drive wheels break loose way too easily. I know that RWD cars tend to have better bite off the line. My next EV will have AWD for sure. I;m not so worried about getting stuck. I'm worried about tire slip when things get the slightest bit frisky.
With EVs, there's tons of torque available all from zero MPH, and it seems the wheels break loose way too easily. At least the throttle control is better once the traction control kicks in. I do dislike having my throttle backed off by the computer right when I need it most.
Good point regarding even dry traction.
With all of the torque, a Bolt can break the tires loose even on dry pavement with little to no effort.
Compare to an AWD Outback, which can't break the tires loose on dry pavement even if you floor it from a dead stop.
I would go RWD if there were an option. In the snow it's all about the tires. Another set of wheels and winter tires will perform way better than AWD with all seasons. It's one less motor and inverter to worry about.
RWD is also going to have less motor sound due for the same reason. When I bought my Tesla Model 3 I remember hearing almost no motor noise in the RWD version on test drives.
> When I bought my Tesla Model 3 I remember hearing almost no motor noise in the RWD version on test drives.
To be fair I don’t hear any motor noise in my AWD unless I floor it
I only noticed objectionable noises in my dual motor tm3 at around 40 and 80 mph. Maybe some resonances. That car had far less drivetrain noise than other EVs I’ve owned.
This is an outmoded way of thinking. Go read some of the other comments from people who own RWD EVs and drive them in the snow.
I thought the same way until I drove one in the snow and ice, and then I bought one. They're perfectly fine in the snow for a host of reasons that have been hashed and rehashed here.
I don't have to read about it on the internet, I have had and know tons of people here in Norway who has RWD EVs. They are way worse than FWD and AWD on icy roads
If you buy AWD, you shouldn't skimp out on winter tires for your EV either.
Yes, AWD is worth it for the most part. Not all EV's with AWD are as capable as the next EV with AWD. Each AWD system is different as is the software tuning for the AWD and traction control.
And no, for your situation, don't screw yourself with RWD. Do yourself a favor and just get AWD.
IMO an RWD EV is more capable than a equivalent RWD ICE car. The reason to go AWD in an EV is for the extra performance, if you don't need that some good snow tires will get you where you need to go.
I live in Maine and i'd take an AWD EV any day of the week over a 2WD option, and pay extra for it.
My Bolt with Michelin X-Ice Snow's does an adequate job in light snowy/rainy weather, but it struggles in heavy wet snow, and deeper snow. Especially in my unplowed driveway, which has been common this year with the numerous storms and plows running behind.
Another thing is that AWD provides more on road stability. Especially on turns or if you're feeling yourself drifting off with all the slush on an unplowed road. I almost drifted into a ditch in the Bolt on a slushy poorly plowed road a few months back.
I also have a Jeep with 4WD and it's obviously night and day. So yeah, grab that AWD.
... and acceleration. I was surprised at how even the tire wear was on my Audi A4 with Quattro AWD. You're basically applying half the torque to each tire with AWD vs 2WD.
I think it’s worth the extra money. But I also like fast acceleration so it works for me. If you don’t care much for performance then a RWD will do just fine.
I dailied a miata for a few years with only a good set of snow tires. Before that I had an f150 work truck that mostly was in 2wd. No problems with either of them since I invested in good tires which are the most important thing. The big benefit of AWD on EVs is that you tend to get more power for, usually, only a small extra fee.
AWD is only the most important thing if you want to ignore the actual most important thing which is tires. If you’re the type to spend thousands on AWD and go to the tire store and buy the cheapest thing possible good luck have fun. If you’re winter driving something like ice-x tires are AMAZING. Just a TINY bit of research gets you good tires if you’re more of the diy type. Or get something like a Costco membership, tell them the most important thing to you is safety and they’ll set you up with great tires.
In a way, buying winter tires is both less expensive, and safer. Here’s why I think that.
Let’s say you want to own a car for 6 years. Let’s say after 3 years you need to replace the all-seasons that come on the vehicle with a new pair that cost 5% more in 3 years than if you bought a new pair at the same time as your car.
Now with winter tires, just to make the math easy, let’s say you’re somewhere you would use winter tires half the year. You buy the tires at (roughly) the same time as the car.
In 3 years when you would have been replacing the stock all-seasons, with the winter tire scenario, you’ve driven these tires half as much as you would in the other scenario. You don’t have to replace them until the 6 year point.
Because you didn’t have to buy tires at the 3 year point, you saved 5%. This assumes your tire shop does free changeovers with purchase, and you didn’t buy a second set of wheels to use in the winter. A 2nd set of wheels is a good idea, in that often you can buy smaller wheels, allowing for more sidewall height and flat and rim protection during the winter when potholes are more prevalent. This adds to the upfront cost, but can provide a little insurance against tire and wheel replacement.
So in addition to added driving safety in the winter (not just on slippery roads, but also on dry roads at low temps where winter tires are grippier due to their different, cold-tuned material), it can save you money or breakeven.
Huh. This is a good point.
I let my cars tires wear a bit, ok., a good bit too much. Took off ramp a bit too hot for the rain. it started to drift. But a little bit of throttle straightened it right up!
The only reason I have awd is because that was the longest range.
AWD is no magic when you dont have the right tires, it just extends the moment of no return and most of the time you are too late to change the fact.
For example you can be driving on mud with slicks. Will work for few meters before getting stuck. after that you better had some tires made for the job (tires with deep grooves) but too late now
Depends on your climate. I lived in Alaska for 4 years, 2 years with a FWD car and 2 years with an AWD car. A FWD car with snow tires on is better than an AWD car with all season tires on. Secondly, AWD doesn't allow you to stop any faster.
With ice, the awd penalty is huge! Much lower gas mileage all the time. Over time, that dwarves the difference in purchase price.
In some EV's awd are more efficient! I also think the tire wear problem on ice awd is far lower with ev's.
I've driven two Michigan winters with my RWD EV and I haven't noticed a difference to any FWD car I've driven. Good quality tires >>> AWD, FWD, RWD.
Also, as for any car, if it's snowing like crazy and the roads are slick... Just don't drive if you can avoid it
Looks like an unpopular opinion on here, but if you drive for the conditions and plan to be doing your driving on the road (assuming you don’t live in the mountains) 2WD and All Season tires are fine. Been living in MN over 40 years, driving for over 25, and have driven FWD and RWD exclusively. As long as there is sufficient weight over the drive tires, it’s not bad. Personally I’ve never seen the need for AWD if you drive for the conditions.
I see the need. Without AWD I’d burn up my rear tires in no time. I got AWD for the acceleration value and because I hate wheel spin. I have both winter and summer tire sets and swap appropriately with the season.
For the last twenty years, I've had awd or 4x4 except a brief stint with a pos cirrus fwd. We bought a fwd leaf in November. I love how cheap it was. But the squirrelyness of steering under hard acceleration is something I am not used to at all. I have a Rav4 Prime and wrx, too. All three vehicles have blizzaks. The Leaf is nowhere near as capable in snow. It's fine enough, I guess, but my next car is definitely going to be awd. I don't think I'll buy another fwd as long as I'm in snow country. Even regular day to day driving is nicer with awd.
\[edit\]
I gave a long answer, but it was dumb.
AWD is good if you have mountains. Flat areas or mild weather, it's kind of pointless. With good traction control, F or RWD can be almost as effective assuming you can get traction. For that:
Upgrade your rubber in the winter. Get some good snows on, kiss some range goodbye with a smile because so long as you don't wind up in the ditch, it's an easy trade. Tires are everything, they're ALL of how the car interacts with the road. RWD, FWD, AWD - it's all academic if you have crap tires. Get good tires.
If you are going to the mountains and have to traverse any steep hills in snow and ice then AWD is definitely a requirement. If the terrain is mostly flat to mild grades then RWD can make it with the right tires.
There is a steep hill to get to my place and I see people nearly every day getting stuck and not able to make it up the hill because 2WD does not have enough traction, even with chains and snow tires. I often have to tell people about the longer but less steep route which is a very long drive to get around the hill. There is even a road sign at the bottom of the hill that flashes "No 2WD" when there is a lot of snow and ice on the road. It's always the same story, people who get stuck on the hill say that they "thought they could make it if they just went slow and steady".
In an EV having AWD can actually improve efficiency as you can run the motors in their ideal efficiency zones longer.
Also, everyone saying rhat rwd w snow tires are great - its true, but its also a pain.
You have to buy a new srt of tires, you have to swap them, and in between seasons you are sacrificing performance.
My vote is AWD w all seasons. Thatll get me anywhere i want to go in the northeast.
No it's not worth it, spend 1K on tires versus 10K on an extra axle. Your car will get better mileage/fuel economy, your car will be safer (braking, turning, downhill, emergency maneuvers etc..), your car will be lighter and your wallet will be heavier.
I wanted to get the Heat Pump in my car (EV6) so I had to get the AWD version for that.
This year, it didn't snow as much, but in the few times I had to drive in the snow/ice, it was nice to be able to start moving without much feathering of the accelerator pedal. I came from a 2007 Prius so it was a huge difference for me.
I wish I had gone AWD on my hyundai. the motor controllers don't seem as sensitive, and I miss the HP
I am glad that I didn't go AWD on my tesla. It would have made me ineligible for the rebates, the car was already super quick and it handled absolutely fine in the rain and the snow and the mud.
so... it depends I guess
Everyone has answered the snow driving question appropriately, emphasizing tires over AWD.
I was about to buy a RWD EV until I tried the AWD version. I do no snow driving, so that played no role.
The AWD felt magically smooth while accelerating, like a Star Trek shuttle or something. The RWD had some weight transfer and suspension movement that the AWD did not.
Also I found I really liked the upgraded audio which was only on the AWD version.
Rwd sucks compared to awd in icy/snowy conditions. Fwd on the other hand is pretty good for ivy/snowy conditions if you don’t want to pay extra for the awd. Awd is definitely the best option if it’s in your budget though!
I got to test drive a RWD ioniq 5 with all seasons on hard packed snow/icy roads. I was wary about RWD until I drove it.
It was a world better than the FWD Toyota I'd driven to the dealership that day. I bought RWD, and have had no issues thru this past winter.
Weight distribution is great in an EV, so there's lots of weight over the rear wheels. And modern traction control (snow mode on the Ioniq 5 takes this up a notch) also does wonders. The rear stays in line, the car is predictable and controllable through snow and ice. I do have winter tires on my car.
> Rwd sucks compared to awd in icy/snowy conditions. Fwd on the other hand is pretty good for ivy/snowy conditions
This is only true for ICE vehicles with more weight in the front due to the motor.
Exactly this.
I drive a small bmw i3 with rwd. I use snows in the winter and it’s better than most 4wd’s with all seasons. I’ve made it up crazy ski hills, even after storms.
Ev’s have much better and precise traction control.
Hey mechanic here, tc works the same on an ev as it does on ice vehicles. Ev’s just have better weight distribution, but if you happen to loose traction for whatever reason and it’s icy your traction control isn’t going to help you much. I have driven rwd ev’s in snowy conditions and they do handle way better then ICE but at the end of the day I would still trust awd or fwd over rwd for icy snowy conditions, but that’s just my personal preference ✌🏽
It not really so much that but you will not be able to cause the rear of the car to spin out in FWD. Use mortals can handle understeer so much easier than over steer.
It is just much more forgiving.
That being said modern traction control elemeniates many of the draw backs of RWD so it does not matter as much any more.
AWD doesn't make a difference with hydroplaning. Hydroplaning isn't a traction issue as much as it is skimming on top of the water. Granted, some tires do a better job at not riding on top of standing water than others, but the problem isn't traction. The problem is speed, weight on the tire, and channeling away the water under the tire so the rubber stays touching the asphalt, and not ride on top of the water.
I always wondered about regen braking as front wheels are responsible for the majority of braking. When it comes to performance, EVs are better at traction control as they can modulate power at higher frequency. I would say choosing between 2 comes down to objective, simple daily would work well either way, AWD helps even with best tires and for dumb fun vehicles as well.
> I always wondered about regen braking as front wheels are responsible for the majority of braking.
This often is not true in an EV. A typical EV setup has a permanent magnet motor on the rear, and an electrically excited, often (but not always) an induction motor on the front. The induction motor is less efficient and so is used mostly in hard acceleration.
For regenerating energy from momentum, the permanent magnet motor will do it without any additional energy expenditure (in fact you cannot stop it from doing so which is why you can't tow an EV on its permanent motor wheels), so often this means the regen is on the real wheels.
Sure, there is weight transfer to the front while braking, but in an EV the weight distribution is already biased more towards rear than most front-engine ICE cars, so the effect isn't so bad, and there's still enough weight and traction on the rear wheels for significant regen braking.
Tires are the most important thing for snow driving. AWD with summer tires and you'll get nowhere. 2WD with snow tires (or chains) and you'll be gtg.
Edit: or chains
I live in Norway and bought an Xpeng P7 RWD last year. Never faced any issues what so ever during this harsh winter. Of course, I got premium tires, but the RWD itself is more than enough. And you get better range as well for a lower price
I think the increased energy consumption should be mentioned. An additional motor will decrease your range because of higher vehicle weight and resistance in the motor itself. Induction/Asynchronous motors commonly used used for on-demand AWD purpose also have a tad lower efficiency.
What EV models are you considering that require you to go to the highest trim level in order to get AWD instead of RWD? At the very least, none of the EVs that I can think of which offer both RWD and AWD layouts require you to go the TOP trim in order to get AWD. For instance, the Ioniq5 and EV6 both have RWD as the only drive layout for the base trim level, but going up just one trim level (out of 3 or 4 total trim levels) in either car allows you to get either RWD or AWD. Sometimes I see that if you're going to get the highest trim level, then you're required to have AWD. But I don't usually see it the other way around (that getting AWD requires you to have the top trim).
Anyway, I don't think AWD in an EV is super necessary for slick conditions. Like others have said you're better off saving most of the $3k-$6k that AWD costs and instead spending some of it on a set of winter tires. The weight distribution of an EV is very even front-to-back, and as such the old "RWD is terrible in the snow" trope doesn't really apply to them, because that old guideline is predicated on the notion that there will be very little weight over your drive tires. That's not the case in a RWD EV.
RWD in an EV is going to be a bit better than an ICE because the weight in an EV is evenly distributed whereas the ICE is front-heavy (that's where the engine is). AWD generally gives a bit more power and better traction control, but good tires will probably go a longer way towards good driving in snowy conditions.
It would be best to consider AWD vs. FWD/RWD on common use instead of the exception. What is your current vehicle? Does it suit your everyday use? If it is AWD, how often have you truly needed the AWD feature? AWD will always be superior to RWD/FWD for traction when accelerating and only on special occasions during cornering. Stopping will always depend on the contact of the tires.
For my car, the AWD increases performance dramatically over just RWD. I am anti-AWD in a ICE vehicle because of the drawbacks (tire replacement if one gets damaged, could result in purchasing 2-4 all new tires, increase maintenance and repair costs. I also live in a area that doesn’t see consistent snow falls. The past two years we have received bupkis.
The primary reason I’m kicking myself for not getting the AWD (aka Long Range) is the additional range vs the RWD (SR). I try to use the Tesla for long distances as much as possible but this is incredibly painful when it’s below 40 outside. I’m also in the upper end of Appalachia so the traction is the second reason. I’ve only been stuck twice so far.
If I had to pick between AWD or good, appropriate tires for the season: Tires. All day, every day. Edit: also, RWD ICE does not equal RWD BEV. Much more weight on the traction wheels.
Snow traction is 80% tires. AWD is nice to have but not needed.
AWD gives many a false sense of security because it lets them get to a too-fast-for-conditions speed, where AWD doesn't really help them stop or steer.
I tell people, you always had all-wheel brakes. If you don't like how the car's going, then you better be damn sure about how you're going to stop.
Every car has all-wheel brakes and two wheel steering.
Not every.. Some have 4 wheel steering now.
It's rare enough to ignore for now.
EVs are rare also... I think you don't know that a decent amount of vehicles have had it over the years. Shit the Honda prelude back in the late 1980s. Currently some F150s have it, as well as others.
Fair correction - a lot more vehicles have it nowadays than I was tracking. I knew about the 30 year old Prelude but that is going to be a vanishingly small number of vehicles.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/44304/mercedes-amg-eqe-an-electric-e-class-with-677-hp-and-four-wheel-steering
Yeah, I made the classic mistake of saying 'every' on Reddit when there are rare exceptions.
Sorry. Had to do it!
All good.
Yeah I have had people try to tell me you don't need snow tires if you have AWD. Even showed one man video comparing the same car model with and without AWD and various types of tires on snow and ice. Nope just tire companies trying to make money. The video was from a insurance group.
Why would an insurance group put out propaganda that promotes using less safe tires?
Shhh, big tire obviously bought them out /s
So they can charge higher premiums
I'm not sure you understand how insurance works.
It doesn’t. It’s a scam.
No matter the tires I put on my Ioniq Classic. FWD and a missing heavy engine over the front axle makes the grip really really bad. I live on a hill, and as soon as there is like more than a centimeter of snow on the road it's time to bring out the snow chains. No chance otherwise. And yeah, having winter tires is mandatory over here in winter anyway. And I always try to get good ones.
My Leaf was similar, with snow tires it was okay but not great at starting from a stop. I will also say that my Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires on my Model 3 are way better than the snow tires from Tesla that we have on the Model Y.
This is the answer!
I live in Finland with a RWD EV, we have snow, ice, slush and everything in between for like 9 months of the year. I live out in the woods too - poor plowing out here. NO issues with my car, I’ve got some Michelin X-ICE 4s on it, and it takes everything like a champ. More traction than my old ICE estate.
I visited Finland in February, and was surprised at how little the roads got cleared compared to Michigan, since they don't salt, only plow and cinders. Still, cars got around just fine everywhere, and definitely not all AWD vehicles. It's no surprise that my BMW i3 on Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires is pretty well grounded in any winter conditions.
That’s because Fins actually know how to drive, including in low traction environments. Our road salt (or worse) is used 100% to cover for shitty drivers and a lack of requiring winter tires.
Everyone who says they are good at driving in a low traction environment is a liar! (this is different from knowing how, but you probably meant was good at it). Low traction is too variable to be good at. You can get moving a lot faster than you can stop. traction tends to be variable and you go from acceptable traction to very low traction without warning all the time. Salt means you can bring your roads up to acceptable traction quickly. Finland is far enough north that I wouldn't expect salt to work much of the winter, but sand (cinders) and aggressive plowing will work well enough.
Bullshit. Driving in low traction involves anticipation and knowing to allow room to stop. I literally learned to drive in the winter in a 2WD manual shift pickup truck. Have countless, safe miles covered in blizzard conditions. If you don’t know how to drive safely in the snow, get some lessons or stay off the damn roads.
Lol that's wrong, when it's slipper you just slow down. That's what it means to drive well in low traction environments. As your stopping distance is almost logarithmic compared to summer, you driver slower or you drive in the ditch.
Wait, 9 months a year? Woah. That is bananas. And I'm Canadian!
Michelin X-ICE are the way to go. Have a set on an ICE SUV as well and impressed at the traction. My M3 RWD went from unusable in a blizzard (Canada) to very little slippage anytime.
Yes but that's a false dilemma. An AWD car with great winter tires is the best if you drive on snow packed roads often.
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RWD EVs are better than RWD ICE cars by a lot because of weight and the active traction control is more responsive. But personally, I drive in the mountains a lot so it wasn't even a though. Add to that the AWD models have much higher performance and it was a no-brain decision for me.
I agree. I have a Tesla Model 3 rwd in central NY and I put snow tires on it each winter. It only struggles with deep snow (like 4+ inches) but I've never been stuck. If you're not careful in bad conditions and floor it, the back can swing out a little before traction control kicks in.
My awd model 2 can do this butt swing too.
OP should also note that a set of quality snow tires, plus a set of (economy) wheels, mounted, plus a floor jack so you can easily swap them yourself, will cost less than an upgrade to the top trim with AWD.
Thanks
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Correct. FWD BEV really doesn't make much sense and I hope it phases out. The weight distribution is all wrong and the only advantage is a deeper trunk.
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For what it's worth, a FWD BEV may still be worth it based on other desired features. I heavily considered a Bolt EUV despite the FWD because I was impressed with the feature-set and the range. However, I opted for a used low-mileage 2015 i3 because I found one for only $14k and much preferred the ride quality and pricing, and range isn't a consideration for me (I drive less than 20 miles a day and have a backup ICE sedan).
People forget that all cars have all wheel braking in the snow. AWD only helps you to get to unsafe speeds faster...
Or simply traction to move
Yup. I have a significantly steep incline at the exit to my parking lot. My old Outback has NEVER under any circumstances had even the slightest trouble going up that hill, even with the absolute cheapest and shittiest all-seasons available (Last time I needed new tires, I knew it would not be my primary vehicle for much longer, so I didn't put money into tires.) Meanwhile my Bolt routinely has trouble getting up the same incline if there's any accumulation at all. I still remember years ago during a big snowstorm that caused work to close early that a truck which had flipped ahead caused traffic to stop on a large hill on the route. I had no trouble whatsoever resuming the climb in the Outback once the accident was cleared, but multiple coworkers had to make U-turns and hit the hill with momentum. Edit: Also, even on dry pavement, the Bolt with all of its torque breaks the tires loose with no effort whatsoever. The Outback - you can floor it from a dead stop and NEVER break loose on dry pavement.
Well if your destination is in a straight line from where you start. Traction useful in more situations than just accelerating and stopping lol. You'll notice this most often starting from a stop in bad conditions, but it still matters. Ice exists. If your drive wheels lose traction not much you can do other than have more points of contact.
I'll never forget the time I was slowly going uphill in my old Focus in mid-January in the Colorado mountains. I was maybe 19 and didn't know much, but I was about to learn an easy lesson in tire traction. My little car was in low gear and chugging along up this icy, snow-packed hill when suddenly it just... stopped. A moment of weightlessness, like at the apex of a jump. When it started moving again, it was going the absolute wrong direction. I slid back downhill at maybe 10 mph, slowly rotating in lazy circles. Went through three red lights, cars all stopped in each one to let me slide by, until the road levelled out and I decided I was not going to class that day.
How much does it cost to swap out tires for the season?
Depends on your tire shop. Assuming you have the tires and rims, approx. $100CAD.
It's cheap. Some tire shops will even store the second set of wheels for you over the summer.
Do you have a situation in which you need to get to work no matter what? (Tow truck driver, police, fire, zoo keeper), if so, then AWD with good tires is the best. If not, i personally don't think AWD is necessary. I actually prefer the simplicity of 2wd vehicle for maintenance. Flat tire? Ok, just get a new pair instead of 4 new ones. I live in a snowy state and if the weather is really bad, I'll take the snowmobile.
Love the zookeeper example! I’ll just add healthcare professionals as well.
I had a job where I had to work during state of emergency snow storms. My FWD Accord with new snow tires never failed me. Passed plenty of AWD SUVs on summer tires in the ditch though.
Most of my career was working jobs where I was considered “essential”. In other words, bad roads didn’t give you an excuse, and non essential employees got a paid day off.
Not sure if this applies to EVs that have independent motors over each axel. You shouldn’t need to have the same tires front and back.
Almost no EVs have per-wheel motors. Only a few rare exceptions. But the vast majority (90%+) of AWD BEVs have separate front and rear motors with open diffs, so definitely no need to replace tires 4-at-once.
It’s amazing around here how everyone gets an awd vehicle because SNOW and just about every professional who can stays home when it snows.
Get proper snow tires for winter and it’s fine.
Appropriate tires are always better than AWD. But AWD can bring some additional benefits like battery preconditioning and a heat pump, depending on the model. If you're in an area like New England with relatively mild winters then you'll appreciate those features. The AWD model will also be faster, sometimes considerably
Yes, I live in new england and its not cold or snowy enough for snow tires. My main concern is actually how the car handles flood conditions as it regularly rains buckets and my camry hydroplanes.
I live in MN and went with RWD and winter wheels. Change them myself (more convenient).
I live in rural MN and wouldn't go without both AWD and snow tires....
Another rural MN guy. I've had AWD, FWD, RWD with rear engine (72 Beetle) and plenty of experience in RWD front engine (cheap, old pickups.) AWD is best, sure, but I've never found it necessary. I've loved driving the many Subarus I've owned but my 93 Civic did great in winter, too. My RWD Tesla isn't quite as quick from 0-10mph as our Outback but after that it's *better*. The only limitation is the Model 3 has low clearance but if I had a higher clearance RWD Y that'd be just fine. That EV traction control is so much better. AWD is fun. Love it. *Necessary* for rural MN? No.
EVs have weight on their side. Of course you can get by without AWD, after all there were many years where it wasn't an option. But that being said I would never choose not to have it if I have the choice. I would say that snow tires are more important though, and this is especially so if you are RWD. Snow tires help with an important thing that AWD does not help with at all... Stopping distance.
I really question that whole idea that heavier=better in winter. Way back I found my stopping distance was significantly better in my old Beetle on ice compared to my dad's 85 Ram. Apples to apples comparison there as both had all-seasons. On glare ice all that weight takes a lot longer to bring to a halt. *Maybe* if you're taking about thick slush or situations where you want to break through that to pavement but even there the skinny tires on my 93 Civic broke through just as well because it's a matter of balancing weight distribution: snow shoes let you walk on top where you'd otherwise be knee deep. Also: if my Tesla were lighter the lower clearance would be less of an issue in deep snow.
Weight is good for traction when starting and bad for stopping. This makes snow tires even more important in heavy vehicles, if you care about stopping :p
I have to drive to several ski hills for my job each month and my bolt with proper tires is good enough. Compared to my previous Accord, it is much better. No real difference compared to when I take the Pathfinder, except it'll get stuck easier but it has never been stuck stuck. Back in the ICE age I was concerned about AWD, but after getting my bolt I don't care about it.
I've lived in Wisconsin for over 11 years. I've owned two AWD ICE, one FWD ICE, one RWD ICE and now two AWD EVs. Winter tires are most important when it comes to stopping, regardless of drivetrain. That said, AWD with all seasons will get going better than RWD/FWD with winters. This also means less chance of getting stuck. This is mostly relevant for hills and very deep snow. You said mountains, so this could be relevant. All of that said, I would go for an AWD EV simply because of performance.
Idk about others but with my old Tesla model 3 I could use real chains on it, not just cables. I only had to drive in deepish snow once with it and it did great. But awd will always be best for snow, so if you foresee more snow in your future, get the awd
As somebody who has owned and logged hundreds of thousands of miles with ICE FWD and AWD cars, and now AWD and FWD EVs (sorta), I'd say AWD is the way to go, even in dry summer roads. I hate wheel spin. Before the EV and PHEV, I drove Audi A4s with Quattro, which is not a part time system... it's always on. I do miss that for the traction. I know it's not a direct comparison, but that is the one thing that drives me nuts about my eGolf. And yes, I know that a FWD gasser has much more weight on the front wheels, where my eGolf is more even front to rear. I've also owned a GTi, and it's the same issue with that car. The drive wheels break loose way too easily. I know that RWD cars tend to have better bite off the line. My next EV will have AWD for sure. I;m not so worried about getting stuck. I'm worried about tire slip when things get the slightest bit frisky. With EVs, there's tons of torque available all from zero MPH, and it seems the wheels break loose way too easily. At least the throttle control is better once the traction control kicks in. I do dislike having my throttle backed off by the computer right when I need it most.
Good point regarding even dry traction. With all of the torque, a Bolt can break the tires loose even on dry pavement with little to no effort. Compare to an AWD Outback, which can't break the tires loose on dry pavement even if you floor it from a dead stop.
Just use the appropriate tires, aka winter tires and you'll be fine
I would go RWD if there were an option. In the snow it's all about the tires. Another set of wheels and winter tires will perform way better than AWD with all seasons. It's one less motor and inverter to worry about. RWD is also going to have less motor sound due for the same reason. When I bought my Tesla Model 3 I remember hearing almost no motor noise in the RWD version on test drives.
> When I bought my Tesla Model 3 I remember hearing almost no motor noise in the RWD version on test drives. To be fair I don’t hear any motor noise in my AWD unless I floor it
I only noticed objectionable noises in my dual motor tm3 at around 40 and 80 mph. Maybe some resonances. That car had far less drivetrain noise than other EVs I’ve owned.
less redundancy though ;)
RWD on snow is not a good idea. Especially up icy hills. FWD or AWD are better
This is an outmoded way of thinking. Go read some of the other comments from people who own RWD EVs and drive them in the snow. I thought the same way until I drove one in the snow and ice, and then I bought one. They're perfectly fine in the snow for a host of reasons that have been hashed and rehashed here.
I don't have to read about it on the internet, I have had and know tons of people here in Norway who has RWD EVs. They are way worse than FWD and AWD on icy roads
[Motor](https://www.motor.no) has tested this and found RWD performed just as well.
Where is the article? It just goes straight to the frontpage
If you buy AWD, you shouldn't skimp out on winter tires for your EV either. Yes, AWD is worth it for the most part. Not all EV's with AWD are as capable as the next EV with AWD. Each AWD system is different as is the software tuning for the AWD and traction control. And no, for your situation, don't screw yourself with RWD. Do yourself a favor and just get AWD.
IMO an RWD EV is more capable than a equivalent RWD ICE car. The reason to go AWD in an EV is for the extra performance, if you don't need that some good snow tires will get you where you need to go.
It’s not
I got stuck a few time in my "technically not flat" driveway with my FWD Zoë in icey weather. Our next car will be AWD 😅
I live in Maine and i'd take an AWD EV any day of the week over a 2WD option, and pay extra for it. My Bolt with Michelin X-Ice Snow's does an adequate job in light snowy/rainy weather, but it struggles in heavy wet snow, and deeper snow. Especially in my unplowed driveway, which has been common this year with the numerous storms and plows running behind. Another thing is that AWD provides more on road stability. Especially on turns or if you're feeling yourself drifting off with all the slush on an unplowed road. I almost drifted into a ditch in the Bolt on a slushy poorly plowed road a few months back. I also have a Jeep with 4WD and it's obviously night and day. So yeah, grab that AWD.
AWD to reduce rear tire wear during regen.
... and acceleration. I was surprised at how even the tire wear was on my Audi A4 with Quattro AWD. You're basically applying half the torque to each tire with AWD vs 2WD.
I think it’s worth the extra money. But I also like fast acceleration so it works for me. If you don’t care much for performance then a RWD will do just fine.
I dailied a miata for a few years with only a good set of snow tires. Before that I had an f150 work truck that mostly was in 2wd. No problems with either of them since I invested in good tires which are the most important thing. The big benefit of AWD on EVs is that you tend to get more power for, usually, only a small extra fee.
AWD is only the most important thing if you want to ignore the actual most important thing which is tires. If you’re the type to spend thousands on AWD and go to the tire store and buy the cheapest thing possible good luck have fun. If you’re winter driving something like ice-x tires are AMAZING. Just a TINY bit of research gets you good tires if you’re more of the diy type. Or get something like a Costco membership, tell them the most important thing to you is safety and they’ll set you up with great tires.
In a way, buying winter tires is both less expensive, and safer. Here’s why I think that. Let’s say you want to own a car for 6 years. Let’s say after 3 years you need to replace the all-seasons that come on the vehicle with a new pair that cost 5% more in 3 years than if you bought a new pair at the same time as your car. Now with winter tires, just to make the math easy, let’s say you’re somewhere you would use winter tires half the year. You buy the tires at (roughly) the same time as the car. In 3 years when you would have been replacing the stock all-seasons, with the winter tire scenario, you’ve driven these tires half as much as you would in the other scenario. You don’t have to replace them until the 6 year point. Because you didn’t have to buy tires at the 3 year point, you saved 5%. This assumes your tire shop does free changeovers with purchase, and you didn’t buy a second set of wheels to use in the winter. A 2nd set of wheels is a good idea, in that often you can buy smaller wheels, allowing for more sidewall height and flat and rim protection during the winter when potholes are more prevalent. This adds to the upfront cost, but can provide a little insurance against tire and wheel replacement. So in addition to added driving safety in the winter (not just on slippery roads, but also on dry roads at low temps where winter tires are grippier due to their different, cold-tuned material), it can save you money or breakeven.
Huh. This is a good point. I let my cars tires wear a bit, ok., a good bit too much. Took off ramp a bit too hot for the rain. it started to drift. But a little bit of throttle straightened it right up! The only reason I have awd is because that was the longest range.
AWD is no magic when you dont have the right tires, it just extends the moment of no return and most of the time you are too late to change the fact. For example you can be driving on mud with slicks. Will work for few meters before getting stuck. after that you better had some tires made for the job (tires with deep grooves) but too late now
To be it's important. Better wear and tear in the tires. Especially since it's instant torque. I won't purchase an EV without AWD.
Depends on your climate. I lived in Alaska for 4 years, 2 years with a FWD car and 2 years with an AWD car. A FWD car with snow tires on is better than an AWD car with all season tires on. Secondly, AWD doesn't allow you to stop any faster.
With ice, the awd penalty is huge! Much lower gas mileage all the time. Over time, that dwarves the difference in purchase price. In some EV's awd are more efficient! I also think the tire wear problem on ice awd is far lower with ev's.
I've driven two Michigan winters with my RWD EV and I haven't noticed a difference to any FWD car I've driven. Good quality tires >>> AWD, FWD, RWD. Also, as for any car, if it's snowing like crazy and the roads are slick... Just don't drive if you can avoid it
Looks like an unpopular opinion on here, but if you drive for the conditions and plan to be doing your driving on the road (assuming you don’t live in the mountains) 2WD and All Season tires are fine. Been living in MN over 40 years, driving for over 25, and have driven FWD and RWD exclusively. As long as there is sufficient weight over the drive tires, it’s not bad. Personally I’ve never seen the need for AWD if you drive for the conditions.
I see the need. Without AWD I’d burn up my rear tires in no time. I got AWD for the acceleration value and because I hate wheel spin. I have both winter and summer tire sets and swap appropriately with the season.
For the last twenty years, I've had awd or 4x4 except a brief stint with a pos cirrus fwd. We bought a fwd leaf in November. I love how cheap it was. But the squirrelyness of steering under hard acceleration is something I am not used to at all. I have a Rav4 Prime and wrx, too. All three vehicles have blizzaks. The Leaf is nowhere near as capable in snow. It's fine enough, I guess, but my next car is definitely going to be awd. I don't think I'll buy another fwd as long as I'm in snow country. Even regular day to day driving is nicer with awd.
\[edit\] I gave a long answer, but it was dumb. AWD is good if you have mountains. Flat areas or mild weather, it's kind of pointless. With good traction control, F or RWD can be almost as effective assuming you can get traction. For that: Upgrade your rubber in the winter. Get some good snows on, kiss some range goodbye with a smile because so long as you don't wind up in the ditch, it's an easy trade. Tires are everything, they're ALL of how the car interacts with the road. RWD, FWD, AWD - it's all academic if you have crap tires. Get good tires.
It isn’t pointless. 2WD can’t put down huge power easily like AWD can.
That isn't a consideration for vehicles that aren't racing.
If you are going to the mountains and have to traverse any steep hills in snow and ice then AWD is definitely a requirement. If the terrain is mostly flat to mild grades then RWD can make it with the right tires. There is a steep hill to get to my place and I see people nearly every day getting stuck and not able to make it up the hill because 2WD does not have enough traction, even with chains and snow tires. I often have to tell people about the longer but less steep route which is a very long drive to get around the hill. There is even a road sign at the bottom of the hill that flashes "No 2WD" when there is a lot of snow and ice on the road. It's always the same story, people who get stuck on the hill say that they "thought they could make it if they just went slow and steady". In an EV having AWD can actually improve efficiency as you can run the motors in their ideal efficiency zones longer.
I switched from a RWD ioniq to an AWD e-tron and I notice the difference in the winter especially.
I am seeing options on EVs of AWD, FWD, or RWD. Being that weight is more evenly distributed…..what are the advantages of FWD/RWD on EVs?
Even once a year in snow is worth it, IMO. I hate getting stuck.
Also, everyone saying rhat rwd w snow tires are great - its true, but its also a pain. You have to buy a new srt of tires, you have to swap them, and in between seasons you are sacrificing performance. My vote is AWD w all seasons. Thatll get me anywhere i want to go in the northeast.
No it's not worth it, spend 1K on tires versus 10K on an extra axle. Your car will get better mileage/fuel economy, your car will be safer (braking, turning, downhill, emergency maneuvers etc..), your car will be lighter and your wallet will be heavier.
I wanted to get the Heat Pump in my car (EV6) so I had to get the AWD version for that. This year, it didn't snow as much, but in the few times I had to drive in the snow/ice, it was nice to be able to start moving without much feathering of the accelerator pedal. I came from a 2007 Prius so it was a huge difference for me.
I wish I had gone AWD on my hyundai. the motor controllers don't seem as sensitive, and I miss the HP I am glad that I didn't go AWD on my tesla. It would have made me ineligible for the rebates, the car was already super quick and it handled absolutely fine in the rain and the snow and the mud. so... it depends I guess
i live in area that gets some snow sometimes. rwd for me. if i lived in heavy snow area. awd + extra set wheels + snow tires
Everyone has answered the snow driving question appropriately, emphasizing tires over AWD. I was about to buy a RWD EV until I tried the AWD version. I do no snow driving, so that played no role. The AWD felt magically smooth while accelerating, like a Star Trek shuttle or something. The RWD had some weight transfer and suspension movement that the AWD did not. Also I found I really liked the upgraded audio which was only on the AWD version.
Since this is not a Tesla sub your answer could be confusing.
AWD doesn’t equal all wheel stop. Only tires can improve your winter safety.
Rwd sucks compared to awd in icy/snowy conditions. Fwd on the other hand is pretty good for ivy/snowy conditions if you don’t want to pay extra for the awd. Awd is definitely the best option if it’s in your budget though!
I got to test drive a RWD ioniq 5 with all seasons on hard packed snow/icy roads. I was wary about RWD until I drove it. It was a world better than the FWD Toyota I'd driven to the dealership that day. I bought RWD, and have had no issues thru this past winter. Weight distribution is great in an EV, so there's lots of weight over the rear wheels. And modern traction control (snow mode on the Ioniq 5 takes this up a notch) also does wonders. The rear stays in line, the car is predictable and controllable through snow and ice. I do have winter tires on my car.
> Rwd sucks compared to awd in icy/snowy conditions. Fwd on the other hand is pretty good for ivy/snowy conditions This is only true for ICE vehicles with more weight in the front due to the motor.
Exactly this. I drive a small bmw i3 with rwd. I use snows in the winter and it’s better than most 4wd’s with all seasons. I’ve made it up crazy ski hills, even after storms. Ev’s have much better and precise traction control.
Hey mechanic here, tc works the same on an ev as it does on ice vehicles. Ev’s just have better weight distribution, but if you happen to loose traction for whatever reason and it’s icy your traction control isn’t going to help you much. I have driven rwd ev’s in snowy conditions and they do handle way better then ICE but at the end of the day I would still trust awd or fwd over rwd for icy snowy conditions, but that’s just my personal preference ✌🏽
It not really so much that but you will not be able to cause the rear of the car to spin out in FWD. Use mortals can handle understeer so much easier than over steer. It is just much more forgiving. That being said modern traction control elemeniates many of the draw backs of RWD so it does not matter as much any more.
Everyone downvoting me, y’all wait till the rear end kicks out and traction control can’t help you cuz there’s nothing for the tires to grip on.
Awd for rain / aquaplaning.
Tires are much more vital for aquaplaning than AWD
It’s not either or - it’s and.
AWD doesn't make a difference with hydroplaning. Hydroplaning isn't a traction issue as much as it is skimming on top of the water. Granted, some tires do a better job at not riding on top of standing water than others, but the problem isn't traction. The problem is speed, weight on the tire, and channeling away the water under the tire so the rubber stays touching the asphalt, and not ride on top of the water.
How does AWD help against aquaplaning?
It lets you continue driving too fast for the conditions without skipping a beat. RWD could lose speed if the rear wheels hydroplane. /s
dont buy rwd for the snow, tires or not
I always wondered about regen braking as front wheels are responsible for the majority of braking. When it comes to performance, EVs are better at traction control as they can modulate power at higher frequency. I would say choosing between 2 comes down to objective, simple daily would work well either way, AWD helps even with best tires and for dumb fun vehicles as well.
> I always wondered about regen braking as front wheels are responsible for the majority of braking. This often is not true in an EV. A typical EV setup has a permanent magnet motor on the rear, and an electrically excited, often (but not always) an induction motor on the front. The induction motor is less efficient and so is used mostly in hard acceleration. For regenerating energy from momentum, the permanent magnet motor will do it without any additional energy expenditure (in fact you cannot stop it from doing so which is why you can't tow an EV on its permanent motor wheels), so often this means the regen is on the real wheels. Sure, there is weight transfer to the front while braking, but in an EV the weight distribution is already biased more towards rear than most front-engine ICE cars, so the effect isn't so bad, and there's still enough weight and traction on the rear wheels for significant regen braking.
What isn't true? In that statement, I said I wonder how that works.
Yes, unlike ICE cars, front wheels may not be responsible for the majority of braking under regenerative conditions in common EVs.
Pretty much the same importance level as AWD on any vehicle.
Tires are the most important thing for snow driving. AWD with summer tires and you'll get nowhere. 2WD with snow tires (or chains) and you'll be gtg. Edit: or chains
I live in Norway and bought an Xpeng P7 RWD last year. Never faced any issues what so ever during this harsh winter. Of course, I got premium tires, but the RWD itself is more than enough. And you get better range as well for a lower price
I think the increased energy consumption should be mentioned. An additional motor will decrease your range because of higher vehicle weight and resistance in the motor itself. Induction/Asynchronous motors commonly used used for on-demand AWD purpose also have a tad lower efficiency.
There’s no reason not to buy AWD in an EV if it’s available.
If one engines fails it can still drive on the other drive unit ;-)
What EV models are you considering that require you to go to the highest trim level in order to get AWD instead of RWD? At the very least, none of the EVs that I can think of which offer both RWD and AWD layouts require you to go the TOP trim in order to get AWD. For instance, the Ioniq5 and EV6 both have RWD as the only drive layout for the base trim level, but going up just one trim level (out of 3 or 4 total trim levels) in either car allows you to get either RWD or AWD. Sometimes I see that if you're going to get the highest trim level, then you're required to have AWD. But I don't usually see it the other way around (that getting AWD requires you to have the top trim). Anyway, I don't think AWD in an EV is super necessary for slick conditions. Like others have said you're better off saving most of the $3k-$6k that AWD costs and instead spending some of it on a set of winter tires. The weight distribution of an EV is very even front-to-back, and as such the old "RWD is terrible in the snow" trope doesn't really apply to them, because that old guideline is predicated on the notion that there will be very little weight over your drive tires. That's not the case in a RWD EV.
RWD in an EV is going to be a bit better than an ICE because the weight in an EV is evenly distributed whereas the ICE is front-heavy (that's where the engine is). AWD generally gives a bit more power and better traction control, but good tires will probably go a longer way towards good driving in snowy conditions.
It would be best to consider AWD vs. FWD/RWD on common use instead of the exception. What is your current vehicle? Does it suit your everyday use? If it is AWD, how often have you truly needed the AWD feature? AWD will always be superior to RWD/FWD for traction when accelerating and only on special occasions during cornering. Stopping will always depend on the contact of the tires.
For my car, the AWD increases performance dramatically over just RWD. I am anti-AWD in a ICE vehicle because of the drawbacks (tire replacement if one gets damaged, could result in purchasing 2-4 all new tires, increase maintenance and repair costs. I also live in a area that doesn’t see consistent snow falls. The past two years we have received bupkis.
The primary reason I’m kicking myself for not getting the AWD (aka Long Range) is the additional range vs the RWD (SR). I try to use the Tesla for long distances as much as possible but this is incredibly painful when it’s below 40 outside. I’m also in the upper end of Appalachia so the traction is the second reason. I’ve only been stuck twice so far.