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Comment by tristor | Hacker News Reader

And none of those small EVs are all-wheel drive, which I consider a basic requirement for any new car because I live in Colorado. Sure, I /can/ (and already do) drive a car without AWD, but if I'm buying a new car it's a hard requirement. There's no real technical reason why AWD can't be put into these smaller vehicles, it's a market-segmentation choice where anyone that wants AWD is forced to a crossover.

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I hope to remain out of the market for cars for many years, but find it interesting that AWD is appearing in many hybrids now, where the main hybrid drive is the front wheels but the rears get an additional motor for on-demand AWD.

I used to be an Audi fanboy for the real mechanical quattro AWD system of my late '90s sedan. Front, rear, and center differentials, always connected. But now, for fleet efficiency, basically everyone is going to some kind of clutch-based, disconnecting AWD on demand. So at this point, I feel like these hybrid/EV style drive axles are no different and quite likely to improve costs and reliability, since drive electronics should outlast clutch packs.

AWD only helps with acceleration (and acceleration if you need to get out of a ditch). It slightly hampers most driver's ability to control the car around a slick curve. It's a nice perk, but why is it a hard requirement for you?

Did Subaru and Hyundai get rid of their AWD cars? I thought the impresario, legacy, and elantras had AWD models recently. The Taurus did too, but that was a few years ago (not sure if they even make it now).

Edit: sorry, I missed the small and EV part.

Subaru doesn't offer an EV. Hyundai doesn't offer an EV version of any of its AWD vehicles, other than crossovers. There are /many/ options for AWD vehicles without it being a crossover, but none of them are EVs. The only intersection point, with the exception of Tesla, where you get both is on crossovers.

I missed the small EV part.

"There are /many/ options for AWD vehicles without it being a crossover, but none of them are EVs."

There are optional for AWD EVs that are sedans (not sub compact though, but also not crossovers). Stuff like Benz EQE, EQS, etc. Audi makes some too.

Inded Subaru is still AWD in all the ICE product line. However, Subaru only has the SUV EV ported over from Toyota (it reviews poorly). It's sole hybrid is in the Crosstrek which essentially only exists on paper. Subaru is losing the EV/hybrid/PHEV game. It's very sad to see (as a huge Subaru fan).

Their problem is their main partner is Toyota, and Toyota basically has the stance that they want to do hybrid to maximize the benefits of a constrained lithium supply (ie better to have more hybrids on the road than a smaller number of EVs). Subaru is too small to create EVs on their own at an economically competitive scale. Until Toyota has EVs in large numbers or Subaru finds a new partner, Subaru will not have access.

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