RWD Awful In The Snow Then, Worse Now, Yet Returning For An EV Encore (Must Be Cheaper To Build)

Volvo and Polestar have joined Tesla and VW in favoring RWD over front-wheel drive for base EVs because they say it offers better performance and efficiency.

EDITOR”s NOTE: From 1959 until 1989 my family cars had all been RWD (Rear Wheel Drive); Volvo's, BMW's, Ford's, Austin Healy Sprite's, Triumph's, Plymouth's, Studebaker's, Chevrolet's, Pontiac's , Mazda's and other make cars that have faded into memory oblivion, but I do remember clear as day...THEY ALL STUNK IN THE SNOW...and I mean stunk...

I was a RWD Volvo (544, 164, 240, 940) Guy and BMW 3 Series owner with RWD which was even as inept as the Volvo's in the snow.

In a coating of snow or slush every one of the listed vehicles provided me with no traction, skidding here and there, every red light and stop sign was an adventure, so much so that my RWD family car life ended and I moved to the marketplace for a FRONT WHEEL DRIVE (FWD) car. (Note To Youngster's: Except for truck-like Jeeps , International Scouts, IH Travelalls, Ford Bronco's and a few Mercedes-Benz', Subaru's and Audi's, ubiquitous AWD sedans and wagons did not happen until years later, although I did own a 1977 Subaru FWD wagon .

I had always believed that the snowy home bases for Volvo and BMW would have forced their cars to be “Good” in the snow...but NOOOOOO they sucked and when I aired my misunderstanding with execs from both companies I was told that “in Europe RWD models were ALWAYS equipped with studded tires front and back always, which were and still are controlled in most states here in the USA.

So what's going to happen because of a snowy day to all these RWD electric vehicles motorists?

Three RWD EV "Tips":

• 1. Don't buy one...instead buy a FWD or AWD Vehicle or buy a snowy day public transit pass.
• 2. Go to the Gym to become RWD Tire Chain Installation Strong
• 3. Take your money and invest in an easy-on-easy-off tire chain company, because every “above the Mason Dixon line” RWD EV owner is going to need chains to get their fully charged, green, saving the world , Chinese battery-ed RWD EV to be able to leave their garages.

Washington DC April 19, 2023; The AIADA newsletter reported that earlier this year Volvo announced it would end a self-imposed, safety-related boycott and produce rear-wheel-drive cars for the first time in a quarter century.

Not long after that it's sibling brand Polestar said the power in the car's single-motor variants would for the first-time switch to RWD from front-wheel drive.

With the shift Volvo and Polestar joined Tesla, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Kia which have all favored RWD for base models for reasons that include better performance and improved efficiency.

For example, the power in the new Polestar 2 RWD variants with a single electric motor increases to a high of 295 hp from 228 hp while torque rises to 360 pounds-feet from 243 pounds-feet compared with the FWD models. Polestar said, adding that wasn't the only advantage. "When we reduce the weight on the front axle, we make the car a little bit more agile and a little bit more fun to drive,” Polestar head of chassis development Joakim Rydholm told Automotive News Europe. "So, we improve traction, we improve directness, speed of response, and that together gives more driving pleasure. This means we can improve comfort without sacrificing on performance and the handling."

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