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ID.4 performance in the rain?

7.2K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  fiehlsport  
#1 ·
Hello, I apologize if this has been discussed before, but I have heard negative things about RWD EVs in the rain. Curious to hear people’s experiences driving on wet roads. Thanks in advance!

Brian
 
#7 ·
I drive my Pro S in very heavy rain (I live in New York City) frequently. It is just fine.....never had a nervous moment. The traction control and other safety system are excellent. I even tried to provoke it in a rainstorm - in safe conditions - once. Downhill bend in the wet and a heavy foot...it just ignored me, and was just fine.
 
#9 ·
Welcome to the forum!

I'm also unsure where you saw negative comments regarding driving the ID.4 in the rain. Be reminded that the ID.4 is over 4k pounds with a very low center of gravity. It also has the wheels placed well to the corners. And most important it comes with very good EV-rated all season tires. So all in all a very planted, responsive, and safe driving experience.

As someone who grew up in a predominiantly RWD era there's nothing inherently lacking with same, or I wouldn't be here to write this (historical RWD oversteer vs. modern FWD understeer subtleties aside). Also be reminded that the AWD variant will be RWD most of the time.

In inclement situations I'm always more looking for those others on the highway who have less capable vehicles (and especially less capable tires)!

Related (ID.4 at 2:09 on), it pretty much takes a Pro to break it free and drift:
 
#10 ·
I drove home in heavy rain and wind last week. I was really pleased to discover the ID.4 was rock solid. It never once pulled left or right due to standing water on the road...even though there was plenty. It was eerily quiet inside with almost no splashing sound from water in the wheel wells. The only notable sound was the clicking of raindrops hitting the glass windscreen and a smaller amount on the glass roof. The only bad thing was the feeling of security was so strong I was probably driving WAY too fast for the conditions. But so was everyone else!
 
#12 ·
Modern EV's are unique in that they know the rotation speed of each wheel and if any of the four are outside the norms of safety, the car can do something about it - It can brake any single wheel if need be, add power to one rear wheel while braking the other one for traction control plus several other scenarios . . . . and as mentioned earlier, it all happens in milliseconds. In my opinion, there's no safer vehicle to drive during inclement weather conditions than a modern EV, so I'm VERY reassured to haul my family around in one

It used to be that if the rear broke traction it required a very skillful driver with quick reactions to get it back under control before very bad things happened. In an EV, the car does all that for you, often before the driver even knows anything unusual has happened

Don