That's the downside of American style snowblowers. The put those big stationary wings, or guards, at the ends of the auger and you have to ram those through the snow before the auger can even start moving snow.
Installing a heated driveway will cost anywhere from $10-$25 per square foot to install. The average cost is $8,500. While this is a large sum of money a heated sidewalk or driveway will last 15 - 20 years if it is taken care of well.