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Towing 1,000 pounds with Escape

Created February 6, 2005, at 8:47 pm by Anonymous

Can't find any better Hybrid in the making. I have a boat and need 3,500LBS. Is that it?

Anonymous

7 years ago

Have Toyota indicated towing capacity for Highlander Hybrid? It should have enough power to tow more than 1000 lbs.

Anonymous

7 years ago

Checked on Lexus and Highlander web sights and nothing is said in the ones I read. They both have the same power and drive train it looks like but from what I read, I think they don't have that question answered. GM is building a truck but it doesn't save much gas over regular SUV's like the V6 Escape (3500 tow).

Anonymous

7 years ago

if you go to the highlander hybrid page, under faq&options, check the options tab, you'll see

Towing Prep Package - includes transmission oil cooler, trailer prewiring harness and 3,500-lb. towing capacity[10]

Anonymous

7 years ago

Thanks Sky, I did find it and I think that is great that we can buy a Hybrid that can tow 3,500 lbs. I'll keep my eye on that SUV!

Anonymous

6 years ago

A 7 year old nephew of mine just asked his Ford-dealer-father who just had a customer ask him if he could use a Hybrid Escape to tow and launch his motorboat, "Dad, why would you want to put an electric car in water?"

Smart whippersnapper, wouldn't you say? Anyway, the question is valid. Can folks who back into lakes/oceans to release and recover their small craft, often into water that's several feet deep, do so safely with a Hybrid?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Anonymous

6 years ago

i don't see why not! just BACK in! the electric harness is in the front.

although i've enjoyed seeing people pull their boats out at the end of a day of fishing for beers in the ice chest. THAT might be more interesting with a hybrid...

see ya

Anonymous

6 years ago

I think I would be more concerned with that Highlander and the Lexus with the Elec. motors in the rear on the AWD. I don't put my wheels in the water but a wave from a passing boat has gave me problems before.

If the engineers have not solved water tight electrical and grounding problems, there's going to be an insurance problem with Hybrids. What about electrical shock issues? Hybrid in the canal, Do you jump in and try to save someone? I think so.

Anonymous

6 years ago

My guess would be that the motors are sealed and designed for submerging if it is in the axle like the Rx400h or highlander. As for the front wheel drive the motors are incased in the trans where they have had to deal with oil getting into the electrical system and motors so more than likely they are protected as well.

I believe all the systems have a ground fault detection system on them but that would need to be confirmed. I couldn’t see the vehicles getting approved with out such a device.

The high-energy battery would be my only concern. Toyota liquid cools their battery so more than likely it is sealed, plus the Toyota battery is usually mid-way in the vehicle under the rear seat or by it.

The Escape is designed differently. It is an air-cooled system that pulls air from the passenger compartment blows it through the high-energy battery pack and exhausts it outside the vehicle under the rear bumper if I remember correctly. Because of this I would be careful not to submerge the rear bump in the water because it could back up into the battery system if the design does not have a way of sealing off water penetration.

Anonymous

6 years ago

"The Escape is designed differently. It is an air-cooled system that pulls air from the passenger compartment blows it through the high-energy battery pack and exhausts it outside the vehicle under the rear bumper if I remember correctly."

There is a battery vent near the rear window up high and I know of no battery exhaust at the rear bumper. Are you sure? Thanks.

Anonymous

6 years ago

The FEH cooling system puts air in and out through the same slot. There's actually two ducts in there, as I recall. The cooling system has its own filtration and A/C evaporator to handle extreme conditions.

The Prius battery is also air cooled, with the intake in the passenger compartment and the exhaust only going to the outside of the car. Whoever told you it was water cooled is misinformed.

Both models do have water cooling for the motors and the inverter (or DC-DC converter in Ford-ese). They use a cooling loop seperate from the engine to keep the temps lower.

Ford does caution to check the transaxle assembly for leakage in the event of exended immersion in water but that's the case for any transmission device...

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