Do You Really Need AWD? Settling The Winter Tire Debate

Summary by Krater

An in-depth analysis of how winter, all-season, and summer tires perform on snow and ice, examining grip, stopping distance, acceleration, and hill-climbing capabilities, and evaluating electric vehicle tire technology.

From the video

Answers: Do I really need winter tires and all-wheel drive for driving in the snow?

• Winter tire performance on snow
• Grip and frictional coefficient comparison
• Stopping distance on snow
• AWD vs FWD vs RWD in snow
• Hill climbing and percent grade in snow
• Electric vehicle tire aerodynamics and noise

What it concludes

• Winter tires provide significantly more grip on snow than all-season and summer tires, drastically reducing stopping distances.
• All-wheel drive dramatically improves acceleration and hill-climbing on snow, but does not improve stopping or turning performance.
• Shifting weight distribution toward driven wheels improves traction on snow-covered inclines.
• Winter tires for electric vehicles are designed with noise-reduction features, aerodynamic profiles, and rolling resistance optimizations while maintaining snow grip.