I was looking thru Consumer Report in an attempt to obtain more information on GPS devices/systems. I later reviewed Hybrid vehicle information and one of their experts Gabriel Shenhar posted this:

To: BILL_KIRCHER
From our experience with the Lexus 400h and Highlander hybrid, there is no traction problem in snowy conditions. Tecnically, when the rear mounted electric motor overheats in continious use, such as crossing a sand dune, it'll shut off. Ford, mind you uses a Toyota-derived hybrid system, but hasn't figured out how to combine ESC with regen braking yet. They are working on it.

This is the link: http://discussions.consumerreports.o...r-38auluxsuvgj

"The rear mounted electric motor overheats in continous use". Has anyone heard of this before? It doesn't sound like advanced engineering. If the situation was reversed (Ford has this problem), would CR be more "vocal" about it?

The Toyota-derived system used on Ford....continues to live on despite evidence Ford designed their own system.

 

Ummmmm. Consumer reports needs to do better research. I'm disappointed Ford can't get any credit for a system they spent $$$ and time developing.

Also, "rear electric motor overheat" would not apply to the FEH. The AWD FEH does not have a rear motor. The rear wheels are driven by a driveshaft...just like the conventional Escape design. Two totally different AWD systems.

Although...I guess it is possible to overheat the front (and only) electric motor in the FEH.

I'm just glad in a way they actually "found" something to gripe about the Toyo, rather than kissing their a$$ like they seem to do all the time!!

Nate

 

After over 25 years as member of Consumers Union, I have seen several items in the last few years that have really turned me off. They are definitely slipping in the quality of their reporting - the example cited here about the "Toyota derived" system is only one.

What really got me was their willingness to grade the 05/06/07 FEH as a rollover hazard based on NHTSA tests conducted on a 04 model Escape. Why would any technically-trained reporter automatically extrapolate the results of a test on a '04 with that of a FEH? Would you think the center-of-gravity would be slightly different with the mass of the HVBattery where it is ???? Sloppy or lazy journalism at best. The FEH may still be tipsy, but I'd like to see it tested to see how it compares.

[Even the NHTSA did not extrapolate the results on the 04 Escape to the FEH....it is just reported as "not tested" for roll over. But that didn't stop CR from downgrading the FEH because of rollover]

 

The Ford motors are liquid cooled.

I don't know, but maybe the rear motor in Toyota is only air cooled??