[theluketaylor]

I don't see friction brakes going away, even if it's just as as emergency backup stopping power (in the same way current friction brakes are on split hydraulic circuits for safety). I could see them being constructed differently to accommodate the fact EVs don't need friction brakes very often. A good example is VW's MEB platform uses rear drum brakes for cost and maintenance reasons. Rear brakes do very little of the actual braking, and drums are perfectly capable of stopping a car, they just suffer more fade after repeated use than discs. Since EVs don't really need to repeatedly stop with friction drums make a lot of sense.

If by 'Motors to wheels' you mean hub motors, I don't see those being a thing. That's a huge amount of unsprung mass (which affects handling and ride comfort more than 10x sprung mass). Broken wheels are also already massively expensive and increasingly common due to poorly maintained roads and automakers obsession with giant wheels and no tire sidewall. Having to replace a motor along with a wheel would be awful.

I do think we'll see plenty of one motor per wheel designs. Rivian has the pattern I think will be common: motors inboard and use small axles and CV joints. Not a very expensive setup and way fewer downsides than hub motors.

Current 4x4 designs with transfer cases, locking differentials and long, heavy driveshafts will certainly be going away. Jeep's 4xe PHEV Wranger has comically awful consumption since it retains the exact same driveline as any other Wrangler. The fact it's as aerodynamic as a brick doesn't help at highway speeds, but all the losses through the mechanical couplings hurts all the time.