You Probably Shouldn’t Be Afraid To Buy A 2-Wheel Drive EV

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“That little Bolt EUV looks great, but I’m waiting for them to make one with all-wheel-drive.”

I’ve seen this on social media and in a few in-person conversations. People are starting to see increasingly cheap EV crossovers, and the low prices are getting their attention. After the tax credit (assuming you owe enough taxes for that to even be useful), you can pick up a Bolt for cheaper than the comparable gas-powered Trax, so it’s a compelling option. Next year, the Bolt and EUV are going to be out of production for a while, but the cheapest front-drive Equinox EV will start at around $30,000 and the tax credit will become a point-of-sale credit that you can take right off the price at the dealer.

This means that the cheapest Equinox EV will be even cheaper than the Trax or the Bolt EUV, making for a compelling deal.

But, many people are understandably going to be turned off at the idea of buying a front-wheel drive crossover, especially if you like to venture off the beaten path or live in a place that gets a lot of snow and ice in the winter. Lots of people think that front-wheel drive is only good for dry pavement, and that you really need power to the other wheels for basic safety, or to not get stuck.

The same can be true for Tesla buyers, who can get a better deal on a rear-wheel drive Model 3 or Model Y than one with a dual-motor setup. If the rear-wheel drive version is in your price range, and the AWD version is just out of reach, you might be tempted to not buy an EV at all because you think you need power to all wheels.

I recently came across a video at TFLoffroad that will be educational for anyone who thinks that. The Chevy Trax in the video isn’t an EV, but it’s basically the gas version of the Bolt EUV I drive. I’ve shared a number of articles about how capable the EUV is, despite being front-wheel drive. But, my words and photos don’t really prove the capability of a modern front-wheel drive EV with traction control the way this video does. (article continues after the video)

I’ll need to get my own video clips together sometime, but my experience with the Bolt EUV has been basically the same as what his experience has been with the Trax. Despite being a vehicle with an open differential and power to only two wheels, the traction control system makes up for the deficiency with an intelligent application of the brake on just the wheel that slips. With the slipping wheel hindered by the brake, the open differential ends up sending power over to the other wheel, and can help get a car unstuck.

If you’re not a video person and didn’t watch the embedded one above, click this link to see an important part of the video where he uses a roller system to show how this works. As you can see, the front-wheel drive system will still get stuck if both wheels are slipping (something I dealt with at Red Sands near El Paso), but if either front tire can get a grip on something, a front-wheel drive system with traction control can fight its way up/through a lot more than you might think.

More Reasons You Probably Don’t Need All-Wheel Drive

If you watched the video, you now know that all-wheel drive is still better than front-wheel drive or rear-only, but that it’s not absolutely essential. He even says at one point that he’d rather have a front-wheel drive car with the right tires than one with all-wheel drive and the wrong tires. And he’s absolutely right to say that.

For one, all-wheel drive does not equal all-wheel stop. Yes, cars have brakes on all wheels, but when you come to a stop, the inertial pushes the weight onto the front tires, and they’re doing most of the work. That’s going to be true regardless of whether you have a single motor or dual motor setup, but having better tires on the front wheels that grip better is what’s actually essential for winter driving.

If anything, trying to rely on AWD instead of good tires gives you a false sense of security that can get you in over your head.

The same is true for off-roading. An all-wheel drive vehicle with eco tires is going to get stuck easier than a 2WD vehicle with truck tires or all-terrains. It should be obvious, but four slipping tires is obviously not going to do you as much good as two gripping ones. Four gripping tires is even better, of course.

So, bottom line for both winter and off-road driving is that if you can afford good snow or truck tires, but can’t afford all-wheel drive and the better tires, go for two-wheel drive and good tires.

Another thing all-wheel drive is a poor substitute for is skill. The best all-wheel drive system with the best tires is going into the ditch just the same if you don’t know what you’re doing or drive carelessly in winter conditions. You might get away with it slightly more often, but you’ll eventually have an unanticipated meeting with a tree eventually. The same is true for off-roading, with choosing the right line through obstacles being more important than what you’re driving (within reason, of course — don’t message me on Twitter saying you destroyed a Model Y or Bolt rock crawling).

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Don’t Buy ICE If You Can’t Afford AWD

So, given all of this, I have some advice for a narrow segment of the population. If you’re in a position to buy an EV, but can only afford the cheaper front- or rear-wheel drive EV, don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on it. Putting appropriate tires on the vehicle for whatever you’re doing (winter driving or mild off-roading) is far more important than having AWD. Driving with care and developing your off-road or winter driving skills is also far more important than what wheels can get power to them.

If you’re in a position to buy the all-wheel drive model, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do that. With the right tires and the right driver skill/mindset, all-wheel drive is still better. But, if you want to save a few bucks or need to save a few bucks, don’t be afraid to buy the 2WD EV.

Featured image by Jennifer Sensiba.