My belief is that is different for EVs, and the main reason that fwd is better than rwd for an ice is due to weight over the driven wheels, which won’t be true with an Ev.

This is based on zero real world experience, we haven’t had significant snowfall where I’ve been in the uk in the recent past, but seems to be backed up by Bjorns videos with rwd Evs shot in Norway where they have had snow!

 

Seams to make sense, thanks for your reply
I will have a look for the videos you mention.

 

By far the biggest factor in how a car behaves in snow and ice is the type of tyre on the car.
So if driving in ice and snow is a critica factor for you then consider getting four seasons tyres or even a second set of dedicated winter tyres, irrespective of the driven wheels.
The position of the driven wheels is somewhat irrelevant when it comes to braking - its all about the tyres.
A rwd car is inherently less stable than a fwd car but the modern traction and stability control systems of electric cars are very good at controlling the car and catching oversteer, all dependent of course on the driver input.
The latest Polestar 2 also comes in 4wd with disengagement of the front axle for efficiency, so something to consider if you are commited to driving in snow and ice.

 

FWD or RWD still mostly behave like their ICE counterparts, but at least two things come to mind that can make an EV behave slightly better than similar ICE:

1) Finer control from standtill. You don't have to first rev up to 1500-2000 then slip the clutch like with an ICE. This will make it easier and more consistent to maintain traction in slippery conditions. Even with most automatics you often feel a noticeable pull from the engine / transmission to not choke the engine . But be warned it is still very easy to break traction if you're too eager with the go pedal (u have a lot of torque with electric engine).

2) More even weight distribution. Batteries under the car and engine close to wheels help to maintain more even weight distribution and keep weight closer to pulling wheels where it is needed the most.

Of course ultimately it all still depends on the design of the car, and condition of tyres etc.

It's also worth to note that in general with current single motor designs to keep cost down independent wheel slip is still mostly controlled with brakes. Additionally the engine can limit power or brake on its own (regen), but only more expensive sport models might have independent wheel control like torque vectoring enabled.

Not sure about Volvo / Polestar design actually, so maybe someone else can shed some light on this matter.

 

Hi, I am thinking of buying a Polestar 2 single motor long range and it is is my understanding that this model is rear wheel drive only.
This leads me to my question. Has anybody driven the rear wheel drive single motor in winter with snow and ice about?

I am concerned that it would be a bit of a handful in these conditions or is it different with it being an electric car.

Thanks in advance
Matty

RWD BEVs are great in winter. The weight of the mid-mounted battery is over the driven wheels. But by far the biggest factor is correct tyres. CrossClimates are highly recommended by everyone who has tested them but if you want to drive in heavy snow in The Alps or Cairngorms then you might want to fit winter tyres (eg Blizzaks).

 

I am still scarred by my experience of a RWD e class estate in the snow here😆an utterly useless car in snow and ice that could not get out of our driveway however we tried. Based on those experiences I have until 2021 always had a full set of winter wheels and tyres but the weather has changed so much now I do not consider them appropriate for me. It is rare to be on the road temps below 7.5deg whereas when we first arrived it was unusual for temps to be above 5deg in late Dec Jan Feb (the month we are most likely to get snow here) so I will now take my chance along with the vast majority. If snow is forecast I can make arrangements not to travel not having to commute to work. If I lived in a colder winter climate as we once where I would revert back to having a set or look for all seasons which are I think nowadays a good option for many.

 

Perhaps this chart will help you decide. It's completely subjective, but designed to summarise the way that all-seasons cover a broad area in the centre between high summer and cold/wet winter conditions. The snow handling is icing on the cake but not the only reason why they're better in winter than the summer tyres fitted to cars ex-factory. Their compound chemistry and tread design are significantly different. They are a compromise of course, but you tend to gain in winter far more than you lose in summer.

As mentioned, you should be considering all-season tyres of which the following are specifically designed for EVs:

• Pirelli Cinturato AllSeason SF 2
• Michelin CrossClimate 2
• Continental AllSeasonContact 2

This isn't an exhaustive list - just what people on the forum have mentioned as working for them.

The caveat is that all this is in terms of mainstream vehicles. High-perfrmance models tend to amplify the differences between summer, all-season and winter tyres and if you have a high performance model of car, ICEV or EV, then you're probably into separate sets of summer vs winter (or winter-biased, all-season) tyres

 

Thanks everybody for the information.
I all helps to put my mind at rest but I am probably over worrying as we don't get that much snow. I will probably with the long range single motor and as most of you recommend change the tires to cross Climates.

Thanks again
Matty

 

I had my rwd p2 delivered in August. I think deliveries started in July so not many about yet. It's not been cold enough in London just yet to get any snow so can't comment on how it drives. Its been fine on icy mornings.