Am I the only one who didn't know the VW ID.4 is rear wheel drive?

p7wang said:

The FWD RWD debate is important in ICE, not so true in EV.

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Your opinion, not universally shared. A search both here and on sites specific to the BMW i3, several mention feeling RWD with regenerative braking was unsafe on slick roads.

FWIW, I know from experience, on slick roads too much regenerative braking with FWD can also cause problems, especially on downhill curves. Slick roads are the only time we choose D in the Bolt; less is more when traction is problematic.

So drivers won't have to think is the most likely reason VW chose to limit regen.

jack vines

jefro said:

I had the i3 and trusted a lot more on slippery roads than the Bolt. I'd much prefer the safety and drivability of a RWD over any FWD. I could crawl up a dirt hill at 2 mph in the i3. I have to go like crazy in the Bolt to maintain traction.

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Yes, on an uphill climb, the weight transfers to the rear so RWD is often superior traction; no surprise there.

jefro said:

FWD is just the devils creation. Should be banned.

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Not everyone agrees with you. I learned to drive on RWD, but when I moved to the northern tier RWD was like a pig on ice. I switched to Saab. They were so much better than RWD in slippery conditions, it was a revelation. The worse the weather and the road conditions, the better the Saabs were. I cried when GM discontinued production of Saabs.

Bottom line, given a choice, I'll always choose FWD over RWD. Up here, AWD is the real answer, but currently we own the FWD Bolt and an RWD work truck. The AWD Saab SUV finally went away because we never drove it unless blizzard conditions.

jack vines

EVolved said:

It comes down to manageable torque and how well the traction control is calibrated.

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For discussion, what was your FWD EV?

FWIW, the Bolt has the most manageable torque control of any of the dozens of vehicles we've owned over the past sixty years. Even with that, it's not as good in snow as a 1970s Saab.

As to traction control calibration, the manufacturers have cheaped out as computer tech has enabled them to piggy-back on anti-lock brake technology instead of more expensive geartrain limited slip. Today, most cars use the anti-lock brake sensors to determine a wheel is spinning and applies the brake to stop it. However, if the other drive wheel also starts spinning, applying the brake to that wheel and with both drive wheels braked progress stops. They try to modulate the on-off of braking, but that's doesn't always work in real time.

jack vines

atc98092 said:

But perhaps more importantly, since an EV uses its mechanical brakes far less than a regular ICE power car, the brake hardware doesn't get exercised very much, and disc calipers are more prone to corrosion and damage from lack of use than drums.

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Not sure I'd agree with all of that. Four-and-a-half-years in the northern tier where liquid magnesium chloride is applied to city streets; we drive in L 99% of use, go weeks without touching the brake pedal and our Bolt disc brakes look and function as new.

jack vines

jefro said:

When I stomped on the gas peddle in the i3 it would zoom past the noisy rats with Japan rockets.

When I stomp on the Bolt gas peddle the front end wanders all over with no traction.

When I used high regen in the i3 the back would tell me but let me control the steering.

When I use high regen on the Bolt I can't steer and it goes right past the turn.

I guess stomping and high regen could be my fault.

When I stomp on the Corvette gas peddle and turn off traction control the back end swaps with front in 1/4 of a second.

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Obviously, your driving techniques are not suited to the Bolt. Ours are; our Bolt is the easiest car to modulate the acceleration and regenerative braking we've ever driven and that includes a lot of seat time in an i3.

jack vines

sendler2112 said:

I always considered eco mode in my Leaf as the standard and not eco as boost. Which I never once felt the need for in two years of driving and 25,000 miles. It was perfect on snow and ice. *Syracuse, NY)

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You would know snow. IIRC, from my winter visits there, Syracuse gets an average of 115" of snow; more than any other lower-48 US major city.

jack vines