The correct qusetion, is what does the LS460 get in fuel mileage in stop-and-go traffic? The answer is 19. Yep, just 19 compared to a FEH at, what, 36? That's quite a difference!

BTW, the EPA rates the LS460 at 27, not 30, for the highway.

 

Engine knock resulting from the combustion process is ALWAYS the result of the flame front expanding faster than the piston can move away/downwards.

That can be because of pre-ignition due to high compression and a (too) lean mixture, timing too early (for the fuel octane..), over-heated engine block, carbon deposits, intake mixture too hot due to Super/Turbo, etc. It can also result from "lugging" the engine, having the gearbox in too high a ratio for the conditions and the wheels cannot be turned (fast) enough with the low level of torque conveyed.

Think of it, basically, as striking the top center of the piston with a hammer.

 

Here's a good overview of detonation and pre-ignition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_knocking

 

1. Ford designed their system from scratch. After doing so, they recognized that their design might infringe on some of Toyota's patents. To avoid problems they "licensed" the "technology" from Toyota. I don't believe they used any of Toyota's designs, rather they just got the licensing so that they could use their own designs without risking litigation. They do source some components from the same manufacturers but I don't believe they share many parts in common.

2. As much as I'd like to believe the Hybrid and V6 have comparable acceleration times, they simply do not. The 0-60 numbers I found from some car review sites were:
8.1 secs for the 6 cyl,
8.9 secs for the Hybrid.
9.1 secs for the 4 cyl.

 

Since the electric motors are of most use at low speed, I wonder how this comes out 0-40 or so. At 60 the electric motors probably don't contribute as much help.

 

Why does this keep persisting? It's not true. I've spoken with the engineers that designed the FEH. They're nice people, and they're very proud of the FEH. They didn't use the Prius as their road map, they designed their own system, and found it close to the HSD that Toyota used as their best hybrid system. However, every little bit of it is Ford designed, nothing borrowed from Toyota. Not one thing. If Toyota didn't exist, and we still got the FEH, it would be just as it is now. Patent sharing is done all the time in the Auto Industry. Toyota Minivans have patent sharing because their seatbelt design is too close to Fords. There are thousands of systems that are close to other manufacturers, so they patent share to avoid costly and lengthy legal disputes. It's far easier, kinder, and helps us, the consumer out. For some reason, the FEH having hybrid patent sharing with Toyota is somehow brought to the forefront, and everyone just assumes incorrectly that Ford just bought/mimmicked a hybrid. This is not true. If that was the case, why isn't Solomon Technologies suing Ford as well? Because they can't, because it's a different system.

In addition, the FEH predates the RX400H, so even if they were "technology looting", they wouldn't have had that option anyway.

Stop trying to reduce the hard work of dozens of engineers into a case of copycat; what'd they ever do to you?

 

Also, if you know anything about how to take off in an automatic from a starting line, you use the brake to hold the car still and accelerate to launch the car. I've heard that was a problem in the earlier test between the V6 Escape and the FEH because the computer and eCVT didn't like this method in the FEH. Don't get me wrong, the V6 does have an edge on the FEH, but most of us don't launch a vehicle from 0-60mph or 1/4 mile on the street. I know I can spin the tires at a rolling start with my FWD FEH.

GaryG

 

"..In addition, the FEH predates the RX400h...."

Only based on market availibility. The market introduction of the RX400h was delayed almost three years from the initially announced product introduction date. It is my understanding that the initial RXh design was to address FE in the same way the Prius has but the original Prius design could not be upscaled to meet Lexus' requirements and still pass emissions. So it was willingly licensed to Ford at a CHEAP price so as not to waste all the time and effort Toyota engineers had put into the design.

 

Willard, you just do not understand!

"Rumor on the street is that Escape Hybrid is using the hybrid system out of Toyota’s Prius. This is absolutely false. Ford Motor Company developed and engineered the hybrid system and possesses 100 patents on the design. The Atkinson engine is an adaptation of the 2.3 Liter Duratec I 4 found in Ranger, Escape, and 2005 Focus. The eCVT is manufactured by Aisin AW specifically for Escape.
Of the 351 patents covering the hybrid drivetrain, Ford did feel compelled to pay license fees to Toyota on 21 of them. This was done simply to avoid any patent infringement controversies."
http://www.gulfcoastnews.com/RT2005FordEscapeHybrid.htm

GaryG

 

"..In addition, the FEH predates the RX400h...."

Only based on market availibility. The market introduction of the Ford Explorer V6 Hybrid (FEH 2) was delayed almost three years from the initially announced product introduction date. It is my understanding that the initial Ford Explorer Hybrid design was to address FE in the same way the FEH has but the original FEH design could not be upscaled to meet Ford Explorer requirements and still pass emissions. So it was willingly licensed to Toyota for the Lexus RX400h at a CHEAP price so as not to waste all the time and effort Ford engineers had put into the design.

Lets all go the the RX400 site and let them know what they got!

GaryG