total EV vs ICE miles

I tried to find a credible source that quantified the mileage difference between 2WD and AWD, and did not. The only source that quoted a number said 1-2 mpg, and I think that's low. But I doubt that it makes a huge difference in mileage/range. If there was a 2WD Clarity and a AWD Clarity (which I know we'll never see) I personally would have chosen the 2WD model. For me, the extra complexity isn't justified, but the fact that I already have an AWD vehicle that I can drive when it snows affects that decision a lot. The Clarity already has a lot going on and AWD would provide even more points of failure.

 

An AWD option would come with a dual motor though. Maybe the Clarity could crack the 7 second 0 - 60 with it!

 

Heh.

Well, to get the thread totally off topic . . . which would be a better design, another motor to power the rear wheels, or transferring the power via a differential? I think the differential would be lighter, maybe less complex, but finding routing space might be a challenge. Not that this will ever happen, but it's an interesting thought problem.

 

Toyota went with the motor option for the AWD Prius. The battery in any PHEV with decent EV range would get in the way of a driveshaft to the rear.

 

The rear motor in the awd Prius is tiny, about 7hp. It’s much lighter than a differential, drive shaft etc for a conventional awd. Only time will tell how useful it is beyond marketing (my guess, 80/20-It’s 20% of the cost of a typical awd and handles 80% of the situations).

 

Toyota is building a Prius with AWD to be sold this coming year. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1120277_2019-toyota-prius-awd-e-priced-at-27300 Not a true PHEV like their Prime, though.

As far as having to go out - we almost never get any kind of weather that'd close campus, though last semester I did lose a class session one afternoon because the water main was shut down so they also called off classes for 3 hours. I suppose I could've forded the flood with AWD - or shorted out the car. LOL