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Comment by chovybizzass | Hacker News Reader

I am going to buy a new car soon and I think it will be the last time gasoline will be available for me. I'm going 4x4 so there's not much EV options.

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I felt the same way. My wife and I bought a model y in November and we love it. If I could get an electric Tacoma I would, but I think I’m going to have to get into the cyber truck if I want an electric truck.

Rivian?

next deliveries are supposed to be in 2022 lol. im hyped about rivian though. the r1t is sexy af

How about Jeep 4XE, RAV4 Prime or Mitsubishi Outlander. PHEV options are expanding for all wheel drive.

Are you claiming that EVs don’t have AWD? My car begs to differ. Or...? Sorry I’m not versed on the finer points of 4x4 versus 4WD versus AWD terminology so maybe it’s me that’s confused, feel free to fill me in.

4x4 mechanically locks the front and rear axles together. Valuable vs AWD for driving in very low traction conditions like sand, mud, deep snow. Should not be engaged on dry pavement. AWD dynamically routes power and is always on.

Thanks! I wonder if the “valuable vs AWD” part is updated to reflect what EVs can do vs old fashioned gears-and-transmission AWD.

EVs typically have a different motor for the front and back wheels, so they would have most of the same traction benefit of a 4x4 system. In the case of companies like Tesla, I think they market as AWD because that implies a system designed for slippery roads, and not off road trails. 4x4 or 4WD can differ a lot but all typically include a locking center differential so that even if both front (or rear) wheels have no traction, the vehicle can move.

Model Y has an “off road” mode but that’s about all I know — don’t know how it works.

For me it was a matter of cost, there were lots of inexpensive used ICE cars with AWD but no electric ones. The cheapest AWD Tesla seems to be $47k new which is vastly more than most people spend on a car.

If you do an analysis of all factors the Tesla is not so bad on cost. Sure you can get way cheaper cars in terms of up front price. But the price comparison is more fair if you factor in the safety and the savings on gas and maintenance. Not to mention resale value and helping do a small part for the future.

Isn't the average new car price around $40k in 2019/2020? Its been going up because consumers are buying overpriced SUVs instead of sedans.

https://www.gmc.com/electric-truck/hummer-ev

Rivian https://rivian.com/r1t

EV AWD is really good, FWIW.

Depends on the type of 4x4 you want.

If you're looking for the "I can go EVERYWHERE" type, then your options are a bit limited at the moment (Rivian, Cybertruck, Bollinger).

For regular "I want better traction and pull a trailer" 4x4 you've got a bunch of options, mostly PHEV though.

Are any of those actually options "at the moment"? If I put a deposit on a Rivian or Cybertruck I have no idea when I would actually get to drive it, depends how many people are in line and whether their production lines ramp up on schedule. I can drive a Subaru off the lot today if I want.

All three are either prototypes or in pre-production, you can't really buy any of them right now. They did have prototype Rivians for Long Way Up[1] as support vehicles.

Keep the old Land Rover or Subaru and check again in a year or two for an actual EV 4x4.

[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12824922/

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