this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2026
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You don't need 4 wheel drive with an EV truck, the weight is properly distributed between the 4 wheels, not like stupid pickups that put all the weight over the wrong drive wheels.
Pickups don't need 4wd due to poor weight distribution, they need it for traction on loose surfaces.
JFC...take a physics class. The drive wheels are in back, the cab and motor are in front. Of course there is no traction, all the weight is at the wrong end and 99% of idiots who buy those trucks drive with empty beds.
My point is that 4WD is never used on pavement in pickups. Many pickups don't even have 4WD and they do just fine, they have plenty of traction on pavement. Trucks don't have 4WD due to weight distribution, they have it so people can take their trucks off the pavement. If you never intend to go off pavement, like so many pickup owners, you don't need 4WD regardless of whether you're in an ICE or EV truck. If you want to go offroad in an ICE or EV truck, you'll want 4WD.
I have taken a few physics classes, was required to get some science credits to obtain my CS degree. I'm pretty sure they didn't cover this concept as, well, duh.
There are tons of vehicles vehicles than can drive off road without 4WD. Most of Rally racing has been done with rear wheel drive vehicles, and they're actually racing, not just casually driving. The reason a truck might not be able to handle it is because trucks are actually not set up well for it, unless they're loaded. Like the comment above says, the weight distribution is bad for it, until you load the bed. This isn't true for an EV truck. The weight is further back, so the rear wheels won't lose traction as easily.
Anyone who thinks they need 4WD to off-road doesn't know what they're talking about. Can it help? Sure. Is it required? Far from it.
Lol rally racing is done on dirt roads. It's not off road untill it isn't a road, in which case u need 4x4! Also handy for when there's a foot of snow on the roads, or during mud season around here where u find Subarus bellied out on dirt roads that are now mud pits. Bonus points if you have lockers or limited slips.
Saying 4WD helps offroad is the understatement of the century.
I've extensively offroaded in vehicles that aren't really built for going offroad - a Subaru Loyale 4x4 with/without a rear locker, a lifted Crown Vic, and a lifted P2 Volvo XC70. The crown vic was so much less capable than the stock Subaru Loyale or the Volvo, even with the trunk full of weight, due to it being RWD. It was all about speed and momentum to get up hills, whereas the Volvo can just crawl up stuff. The Subaru can't crawl up stuff, as it's a manual and doesn't have the low range gearbox, but as long as you stay in the power band of 1st gear it's unstoppable in places the crown vic would be totally spinning out. I always called the crown vic the hammer of offroading, since you kinda were just forced to send it up every steep hill.
U know what they say, with enough velocity you don't need traction! And with a enough traction u don't need velocity! Mind if I ask what Subaru u are off roading? The old loyale could be had with low range iirc, would kill for one of those bad boys
Yeah, its a 1993 Loyale with the push button 4WD. You could get them with a low range gearbox, but this one does not have that :/
That's awesome lol id love to own one of the older Subarus. My first car was a Forester and it was pretty impressive where I could get in that lol. Many years later my "daily" is a 12 Impreza 5 speed with sti sway bars and karthoy end links. It's a great winter beater and the Subaru bug is biting again...
Haha, they're great cars! My Loyale was the first car I ever took the engine out of. It's such a fun car to work on, most things are so easy, if you can get parts.
I don't like self promo, but I do make videos about it on YouTube and PeerTube if you're more interested, here's links to the playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3bEYn02Mtba9lNiSu-KRcnIQieU6-RYP
https://joeltube.com/w/p/vyS65ydhaGKys2Jp8S9wmo
Of course no pressure to watch if you aren't!
A pickup is supposed to be used such that the weight is properly loaded. If you don't have the back full of firewood or something else anyway you are doing it wrong.
Then again if you don't have a full 8 foot bed you are doing it wrong, and those are almost impossible to buy.
I have a modern-ish F150 with a single cab and 8ft bed. I feel like I have the only one that isnt a company truck.
I do if I want to take it on proper off-road trails, mudding and rock-crawling and such.