Regen braking -- AWD vs. RWD -- slippery surfaces

S

SteveEngineer

New Member
Does anyone know if there is a resulting loss of traction/stability possible when an EV has only RWD and regenerative braking is used? I had a old ICE car a number of years ago that lost it's front brakes when a portion of the dual master cylinder failed. The car would barely stop using only the rear wheel brakes and the rear wheels skidded easily when the brakes were applied. Admittedly the front-rear weight balance was much different with that old 1968 Mustang compared with any current EV, but still I suspect that most of a car's braking power still resides in the front wheels. I wonder how this might work out on wet or icy roads ...
Anybody have experience or knowledge on this? This would sway me to pay a bit more and lose a bit of range if I thought that AWD was more roadworthy than RWD when using regenerative braking. Thanks guys!
 
I've not observed a problem with our two, rear-wheel drive, EV powered cars:
  • 2014 BMW i3-REx
  • 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus
Both cars have effective traction control so they handle braking balance very well.

Bob Wilson
 
Owner of 2018 Leaf S. Use one pedal driving most of the time. When the car detects a slippery surface it immediately cuts of regeneration and the friction brakes take over completely. I would think EVs would brake better on slippery surfaces because of the more even weight distribution. With proper winter tires the Leaf is a real trouper in the snow.
 
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