Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel
Like I say, this is a trend that is going to pick up as more and more EV's arrive on dedicated electric platforms.
Rear wheel drive was originally favored for simplicity - you steer through one set of wheels and drive through the other. That way, the two systems are mechanically independent. However, because a combustion engine requires extensive cooling, generally it is easier and cheaper to mount it in the front of the vehicle, away from the drive wheels. Front wheel drive came about in an effort to improve packaging - putting everything up front was more space efficient and allowed smaller vehicles to have more interior room. An electric motor, however, does not have the same cooling requirements, so you can go back to driving the rear wheels and move the motor to the back so there is no need for a drive shaft running the length of the vehicle.
True, they built a lot of Beetles. But other than that hold-over from a bygone era, they switched to FWD in the 70s just like everybody else did for non-premium passenger vehicles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php...kswagen+Beetle |
Add to that FWD was also deemed and advertised as "safer" for the masses. Driver's abilities to safely handle a car haven't improved over the years.