mmarshall

I assume you are talking about the Escape Hybrid.

No. Ford did NOT develop that technology. That was one reason for the delay in the Escape Hybrid's original introduction. Ford bought the rights to use a version of Toyota's Hybrid Energy Drive, under license, with the Escape's 4-cylinder. That, of course, had to be cleared with both companies' lawyers.

Now.....GM DID develop their own Hybrid systems, but they are less complex and less sophisticated than Toyota's and Honda's. GM systems, for the most part (though the very latest ones are a little better), just shut down the gas engine at idle.