Confirmed: 4x4 all-wheel drive AWD planned for future Slate version!

[Mac-Tyson]

I asked Slate about 4x4 all-wheel-drive:

And this is Slate's answer:

... all-wheel drive is in the plans for a future version of Slate. It won't be available at launch, but we know how important it is for folks in snowier climates, on job sites, or looking for that extra traction.

With this being said if you don't need AWD, don't mind RWD with Snow Tires for winter, or in general RWD isn't a dealbreaker for you and you are a reservation holder: Buy the RWD one because if too many people wait for the AWD version, we may never see it. Which is why I thought they were going to keep it vague or in a state of all but confirmed until now.

 

[jonboy108]

Reminds me of a story I read long ago in a car magazine, possibly Car and Driver. The authors were driving in the Mexican Baja, in a built and prepped 4wd race car. They were calling it pretty hairy until they met a Mexican mom hauling her kids in a clapped out 20 year old station wagon. To her it was just another day taking the kids to school. I grew up years ago with long winters and icy roads, lived in a rural community with dirt roads, driving everything from a Renault LeCar to a Rambler American. I believe that the Slate with its low slung battery weight ( just heard that it has 50/50 weight distribution) will do just fine with RWD. I think it has the potential to be a really cool sleeper autocross racer.

 

[beatle]

With this being said if you don't need AWD, don't mind RWD with Snow Tires for winter, or in general RWD isn't a dealbreaker for you and you are a reservation holder: Buy the RWD one because if too many people wait for the AWD version, we may never see it. Which is why I thought they were going to keep it vague or in a state of all but confirmed until now.

Something notable that makes the Slate different that other RWD trucks have not had: good weight distributions. Many people dislike the compromise a RWD truck has in snow or other low traction situations because without a load, there is little over the driving wheels. With a more balanced weight distribution, RWD is pretty darn capable with the right tires. A Miata was my only car for a decade, and I ran snow tires successfully in the winter. Only when the snow was deep enough for me to turn into a snow plow was it ever a problem, and that was on tire technology from the early aughts!

 

[KevinRS]

When pickup trucks were designed as work trucks, they stayed mostly RWD after passenger cars went FWD because they were designed to carry a load. You wouldn't want a truck you would be carrying 1000+ lbs in the bed at least half the time to have front wheel drive, you wanted the drive wheels under the load.
For the majority of time there have been motorized vehicles, the vast majority had rear wheel drive only. Sure there were 4wd options, but you pay more for that, and that was mostly for actual offroading. Not the crazy rock climbing off roading you see now, but going off into the desert on ungraded washed out tracks. People would have laughed at the thought of "needing" 4 driven wheels for snow on paved roads.

 

[SparkYellow]

Reminds me of a story I read long ago in a car magazine, possibly Car and Driver. The authors were driving in the Mexican Baja, in a built and prepped 4wd race car. They were calling it pretty hairy until they met a Mexican mom hauling her kids in a clapped out 20 year old station wagon. To her it was just another day taking the kids to school. I grew up years ago with long winters and icy roads, lived in a rural community with dirt roads, driving everything from a Renault LeCar to a Rambler American. I believe that the Slate with its low slung battery weight ( just heard that it has 50/50 weight distribution) will do just fine with RWD. I think it has the potential to be a really cool sleeper autocross racer.

I happen to have a similar story. I learned to drive in the 90s at a school that offered junkyard-grade cars with MT. After getting my license, I only drove cars with AT. There was always this yearning to shift my own gears accompanied by a slight fear. Then I visited France with my ex and saw my MIL back into and climb out of her garage over a 45 degree incline every day, in her base Renault compact with MT. It was the default way to drive in Europe. That totally changed my mindset.

 

[bob]

Well i do have a keen interest in this vehicle . But i need 4wd. I read some of these threads, and the excuses for not needing 4wd, while might be ok for some, it is definitely not ok for others, snow and ice ? i live in the desert . soft sand, flash floods , dirt roads are a norm. nothing extreme mind you , but the Mojave desert has it's surprises. Lack of power is another big concern for me . but obviously to make an awd or 4wd version , is going to require another motor and transaxle set , as from what I see no place to run a shaft forward/transfer case for conventional style diff without hitting the battery box. Although if they made a provision tunnel much like a SXS that is a real possibility. to a fixed diff , and then spill out to ifs type axels , and would be capable of having a low range at that point. but then the single motor would be severely underpowered . plenty of torque I'm sure. interesting point of debate. and then right back to mileage anxiety. I'm very much on the fence with EVs. I envision a 300hp 4x4 at a fair price point. with 200 miles range minimum.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Well i do have a keen interest in this vehicle . But i need 4wd. I read some of these threads, and the excuses for not needing 4wd, while might be ok for some, it is definitely not ok for others, snow and ice ? i live in the desert . soft sand, flash floods , dirt roads are a norm. nothing extreme mind you , but the Mojave desert has it's surprises. Lack of power is another big concern for me . but obviously to make an awd or 4wd version , is going to require another motor and transaxle set , as from what I see no place to run a shaft forward/transfer case for conventional style diff without hitting the battery box. Although if they made a provision tunnel much like a SXS that is a real possibility. to a fixed diff , and then spill out to ifs type axels , and would be capable of having a low range at that point. but then the single motor would be severely underpowered . plenty of torque I'm sure. interesting point of debate. and then right back to mileage anxiety. I'm very much on the fence with EVs. I envision a 300hp 4x4 at a fair price point. with 200 miles range minimum.

Hello bob - I see this is your first post here.

Have you driven an electric vehicle? If not I highly recommend at least a test drive.