Are There Any 4WD Electric Cars on the Market?
Electric cars are rising in popularity, and with a big push for more sustainable cars, almost every major manufacturer has worked towards releasing or creating their own electric vehicle to add to the market. Some people even theorize that electric cars will inevitably become the norm, pushing gasoline-powered cars to the back-burner to be appreciated as novelties and classics. Now, with four-wheel drive, there is nothing stopping electric cars.
Off-roading electric vehicles
Off-road enthusiasts need not be concerned with losing their hobby to the world of electric cars, where vehicles like the Ford Bronco are edging towards hybrid drivetrains with the potential for an all-electric platform in the near future. As an off-road-oriented vehicle, this is a great example of future potential, and, of course, this means that electric SUVs will be surprisingly good in off-road conditions.
The excitement in the supercar world
With the ability to add electric motor output directly to each wheel, it isn’t actually difficult for manufacturers to engine cars with electric 4WD. Less obtainable flagship cars seem overrated, but they are a great example of what is to come in each brand’s market, and the BMW i8 hybrid showed us that electric 4WD isn’t just an option for the future; it’s capable and developed enough to be implemented in an all-electric vehicle — with no need for support from the wimpier 3-cylinder gasoline engine that everyone likes to ignore.
Current 4WD electric car options
If you don’t want to wait to buy an electric vehicle, there are several options readily available with 4WD capabilities already. The Tesla Model X is a great example of this, with several manufacturers promising the release of their all-electric competitors to have 4WD in the next generation of updates. According to TopGear, there are actually a surprising amount of exciting options for getting 4WD on a modern electric vehicle.
The Audi e-tron is another great example, merging together 4WD capabilities with high-end luxury, and soon, the brand’s biggest competitor, BMW will be releasing their electric 4WD SUV, the iX — an electric and modern version of the brand’s X5, here in the next few months.
We can’t forget about the Jaguar I-Pace, either, one of the more underrated luxury electric SUVs on the market. With standard 4WD, these electric SUVs are incredibly capable in any weather condition imaginable.
Because completely electric cars doesn’t require the same type of mechanical components to convert power from the engine to the wheels, it is much simpler and easier to create 4WD systems. In fact, that could mean it will become more prevalent to see 4WD electric cars as the future standard, though we can really only guess.