Ferrari fills patent for its new four-wheel drive hybrid system

Recently, Ferrari filled a patent for its new four-wheel drive hybrid system, a new technology which might be used on its front- and rear-engined models. The idea of the system us simple: the manufacturer wants to reduce the complexity of hybrid systems by separating the roles of the engine and the electric motor.
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t_bone - 5/22/2009 8:21:13 PM

+1 Boost

Does each manufacturer have to file for a patent this [obvious] design?

If Ferrari "invented" it that would be a mindblowing condemnation of the years of research from big automakers. I think I even rememeber an interview of Burt Rutan (designer of SpaceShipOne) from like a decade ago where he described this, again, obvious design.

LACMAN - 5/24/2009 8:07:06 PM

+1 Boost

I asked this years ago when Toyota first introduced the Prius.

Why not have the Hybrid (or electric motor) system propulse the wheels opposite of the mechanically driven wheels? That would make the vehicle somewhat AWD! Two plus two is four, duh.

Why or how is this news ground-breaking?