Is AWD worth if you need range?

[claudio26]

I have two MME to choose. Both have extended range. One with RWD with a range of 379 miles and one with AWD that has more horse power but less range (335 miles). Both have exact the same price.

I dont really care about the performance and since I dont have a home charger, range is more important for me. The only reason why I would choose the AWD version is because the seller is more trustworthy (big garage chain) and also offers better guarantees and the other one is a small one. And the AWD has ambient light but thats just a small cool feature that is not really necessary.

Does the difference in range really make a big difference in reality? What would you sugest?

Sponsored

 

[azerik]

I assume you're talking KM not miles. No MME can do 379 miles, even on a good day coasting down hill a bunch. If you don't have the ability for home charging where would you plan on actually charging? With any EV in the cold your safest bet is cut whatever you think you might get in range, in half. And you'll be able to be mostly warm and comfy, but you won't break speed limits.

Don't buy an EV banking on getting whatever range is posted. There's over a decades worth of posts like 'I'm not getting the X range it said on the sticker' for every single EV ever bought.

 

[JamieGeek]

I assume you're talking KM not miles. No MME can do 379 miles, even on a good day coasting down hill a bunch. If you don't have the ability for home charging where would you plan on actually charging? With any EV in the cold your safest bet is cut whatever you think you might get in range, in half. And you'll be able to be mostly warm and comfy, but you won't break speed limits.

Don't buy an EV banking on getting whatever range is posted. There's over a decades worth of posts like 'I'm not getting the X range it said on the sticker' for every single EV ever bought.

Oh I beg to differ: If I set cruise control to ~35 mph in my CA Rt1 and set off down a long, flat, continuous 2 lane road on a 74F degree day I bet I could eek out 379 miles without an issue.

For the OP: Looks like you've already made up your mind and want to go with range.

You may be thinking that RWD is a drawback in the snow (given you have Switzerland listed). RWD in the snow is no issue. Been driving my RWD in the snow for a couple of seasons now and it is just fine.

Do take heart to what Erik says above: You do loose range in winter and using 1/2 as a conservative estimate is a good start (so yeah go with more range and 1/2 of that will be more than 1/2 of the shorter range LOL).

 

[RickMachE]

If you really don't care about performance, why are you buying a Mach-E?

I won't dispute the assertion that a qualified driver can drive a RWD in the snow just fine. Many people just suck at driving.

AWD handles better. Faster acceleration. Holds the road better if you want to play Autobahn. I never buy single drive vehicles if given a chance.

Figure at best 10% more range, whatever range you achieve, by going with RWD.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

@claudio26 US cars use a different range test than EU and Eurozone cars do. Neither is particularly accurate per se but the EU measuring system is even less accurate. Neither version will deliver the rated range at higher speeds. You know what sort of driving habits you have and the types of roads you'll be traveling on in Switzerland and beyond. Decide accordingly.

 

[superdave80]

Just my personal view: I have the standard range battery RWD, and not once on even my longest drives (365 miles, 584 km) have I ever thought, "Dang, I wish I had more range!" Once you have a vehicle that can do well over 200 miles before needing a charge, you're usually fine. Planning is more important than range in most cases.

But if you have regular long trip(s) that you do, or a lot of daily driving, you may want to plan out what that trip would look like (accounting for cold, if needed), and see if that extra range would make much of a difference.

Just on a side note: You are in Switzerland, but have a Swedish flag?

 

[AtomicInternet]

I've yet to drive in heavy snow, but for me the MME has great RWD traction control. I don't see AWD as necessary unless you're heavy into performance (need launch hookup) or drive in a lot of snow.

As for "no home charger" if you have 120v outlet near where you park at night then you can charge. I drive so infrequently the 120v is more than enough for me. I get 60 miles in 14 hours overnight, which more than covers any driving I do during the day. I was all set to get a 240 outlet but I don't need it for my use.

 

[claudio26]

Just my personal view: I have the standard range battery RWD, and not once on even my longest drives (365 miles, 584 km) have I ever thought, "Dang, I wish I had more range!" Once you have a vehicle that can do well over 200 miles before needing a charge, you're usually fine. Planning is more important than range in most cases.

But if you have regular long trip(s) that you do, or a lot of daily driving, you may want to plan out what that trip would look like (accounting for cold, if needed), and see if that extra range would make much of a difference.

Just on a side note: You are in Switzerland, but have a Swedish flag?

Im from switzerland. I sometimes use VPN maybe thats why there is a swedish flag ...

I would not choos AWD over RWD because of snow since im not living on a mountain and the roads are maintained well in winter.

Its just my first EV and am a bit afraid that it will be just to stressful with the whole charging thing. I mean with the car I currently drive it takes 5 minutes to fill it with enough fuel to drive arround 600km (372 miles). But I checked different charging maps and it looks like theres more than enough stations to charge. But the most ones provide just up to 50kw what I guess takes around 7h on the MME if im not wrong. That could be annoying if I either need to charge every week for 7h or every 2 days for 2 hours.

But like I said I have no experience in EV. Just want to get one and fell in love with the MME after more than 4 test drives

 

[superdave80]

But the most ones provide just up to 50kw what I guess takes around 7h on the MME if im not wrong.

50kw is a DC charger, and would charge your battery from 10% to 80% in a little over an hour. You would want to try to find chargers that are 100kw or more if you can . This would cut recharge time down to about 30-40 minutes.

L2 (level 2) chargers operate at usually around 6kw, and THOSE would take 7 hours or more to charge your battery.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

Im from switzerland. I sometimes use VPN maybe thats why there is a swedish flag ...

I would not choos AWD over RWD because of snow since im not living on a mountain and the roads are maintained well in winter.

Its just my first EV and am a bit afraid that it will be just to stressful with the whole charging thing. I mean with the car I currently drive it takes 5 minutes to fill it with enough fuel to drive arround 600km (372 miles). But I checked different charging maps and it looks like theres more than enough stations to charge. But the most ones provide just up to 50kw what I guess takes around 7h on the MME if im not wrong. That could be annoying if I either need to charge every week for 7h or every 2 days for 2 hours.

But like I said I have no experience in EV. Just want to get one and fell in love with the MME after more than 4 test drives

I have a premium with extended range and AWD. I also DCFC my car on a regular basis. With a fast charger, I often run the car down to 25% and charge up to 75-80% because charging above that is: 1) not recommended by Ford, 2) too slow, and 3) costs more. Using a 100 kW, it takes roughly 35 min (practically the charger provides 71 kW).

So, no. It won’t take 7 hours to charge. I would say you need less than an hour on a 50 kW.

And I’d recommend AWD. It’s a lot more fun and will do better in resale.

 

[Blue highway]

Go with RWD. more range equals less stress, and as others have stated, my SR battery is more than adequate for my needs.

 

[superdave80]

A few more things to consider if this is your first EV:

1. The first few weeks WILL be a little stressful as you get use to charging vs. filling at a gas station. That will go away over time. I still remember being a little nervous my first week as I had to keep reminding myself that I need to plan my charging, and not just pull into the next gas station

2. You mentioned no home charger. Do you have a place that you could plug into overnight if you needed to? If not, are there L2 chargers near where you work? If neither of these are an option, I don't know if I would recommend an EV to someone at this point. L2 charging while working/sleeping is way more convenient than having to find a DC charger during the day, (but it is doable).

3. If you do go the DC charging only route, just be aware that this will put more stress on the battery, and over time can reduce it's capacity quicker than just L2 charging.

 

[Mirak]

Wait - you can get the AWD and RWD for the same price?

I personally found the RWD model to be a bit sluggish, especially when weighted down by an extended battery. You're also going to get better control with AWD.

So, UNLESS you can think of a scenario where you will commonly need the extra 30 miles of range, the AWD is the obvious choice at the same price.

 

[alexgorod]

since I dont have a home charger, range is more important for me

Maybe it's different in Switzerland, but IMO having a BEV without the ability to charge it at home doesn't make any sense.

Correction - if it is possible to charge it at the workplace on a regular basis, then a home charger is not required

 

[21st Century Pony]

Let's keep in mind that Switzerland, like the rest of Europe, has all their receptacles at 220(+) Volts instead of 120 Volts. Meaning, every car-accessible receptacle in Switzerland is potentially an L2 charging point.

To the OP's question: I have an AWD Mach E and, after 46+ thousand miles, IMHO the AWD is absolutely a worthwhile feature. Is it a necessary feature? No, not really. Is it a worthwhile, welcome feature? Absolutely.

Sponsored