Automotive X Prize

The Progressive Automotive X PRIZE is a prize from the X PRIZE Foundation to encourage the creation of a new generation of viable, environmentally friendly vehicles. Teams compete for multi-million-dollar cash prizes by designing and building super-efficient marketable vehicles that will achieve 100 MPG (2.35 liter/100 kilometer) or its equivalent. [citeweb|title=Auto X Prize Revs Up|url=http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/03/30/107615.aspx|publisher="MSNBC"|author=Alan Boyle|accessdate=2008-09-16]

There are two separate competitions: the mainstream class and the alternate class. The mainstream vehicle must seat 4 people and have 10 cubic feet of storage room as well as accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 12 seconds, be able to drive 200 miles, and achieve a speed of 100 mph in addition to fuel economy of 100 mpg. The alternate class vehicle must seat at least two people, achieve a speed of 80 mph, be able to drive 100 miles in addition to having a fuel economy of 100 mpg. [cite news | first=Dan | last=Carney | coauthors= | title= Automotive X Prize Seeks 100-MPG Car | date=2007-05-20 | publisher= | url =http://progressiveautoxprize.org/news/automotive-x-prize-seeks-100-mpg-car | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-03-20 | language = ]

The mainstream class has a prize of $7.5 million. The alternate class's prize is $2.5 million. As of March 2008 more than sixty teams have submitted a letter of intent to the foundation. [cite news | title= X PRIZE Foundation & Progressive Insurance Join Forces to Officially Announce the $10 Million Progressive Automotive X PRIZE -- the Race to Develop Ultra Fuel-Efficient Cars | date 2008-03-20 | url=http://progressiveautoxprize.org/auto/press-release/x-prize-foundation-progressive-insurance-join-forces-to-officially-announce-the-1
accessdate = 2008-03-21 ]

Competition summary

* Ambitious teams from around the world work to design and build production-capable, super-efficient, clean vehicles that people want to buy.
* In addition to the 100 MPGe criteria, vehicles must also produce less than 200 grams/mile CO₂ emissions. This actually imposes a 133 MPGe criteria on all-electric vehicles.
* Teams compete in two dramatic races that rigorously test vehicle efficiency, performance and durability under real-world conditions.
* Teams are required to submit a business plan which clearly demonstrates an ability to produce 10,000 vehicles per year. Note that teams are not required to be under-taking this plan, but the plan has to exist and the car has to be designed such that this plan is feasible.
* Vehicles with the best overall time in final race while still meeting requirements will win.

Competition guidelines

To encourage feedback, the AXP published draft competition guidelines, which were open for public comment from April 2 to May 31, 2007. The competiton guidelines are the product of hundreds of volunteers of the AXP and world-class advisors. [citeweb|title=Draft Competition Guidelines|url=http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/files/downloads/auto/AXP_Draft_Competition_Guidelines_20070402.pdf|publisher="progressiveautoxprize.org"|accessdate=2008-08-07]

Competing teams

On March 20, 2008 the X Prize Foundation announced the current list of teams who have signed a letter of intent to compete in the Automotive X Prize sponsored by Progressive. The following is a list of some of the current teams, though not a complete list, since the foundation will still accept applications through the end of 2008.

* Aptera Motors - This company from Carlsbad, Ca has developed a very high mileage three-wheeled vehicle, the Typ-1. The shape of the car is credited to Jason Hill, [cite web| url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/16/HOP1103V8S.DTL| author=Zahid Sardar|title = Aptera’s 3-wheeler looks as if it could soar| accessdate = 2008-08-02| publisher = "San Francisco Chronicle"] an experienced designer that worked on the body of the Porsche Carrera GT, and to Aptera's own aerodynamicist, Miles Wheeler. [cite web| url = http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazine/16-01/ff_100mpg| title = 1 Gallon of Gas, 100 Miles – $10 Million: The Race to Build the Supergreen Car| accessdate = 2008-04-01| author = Eric Hagerman| publisher = "Wired Magazine"] The design has been inspired by modern composite aircraft and is legally classified as a motorcycle. [citeweb|title=7 sexy hybrids you can't (yet) buy|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26462400/?pg=2#Tech_7SexyHybrids|publisher="MSNBC"|accessdate=2008-09-22]
* Commuter Cars - A production vehicle from this company has been sold to actor George Clooney. [citeweb|title=Putting the zoom into electric cars|author=Brian Dumaine|coauthors=Jamie Carroll, Ingrid Tharasook|url=http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fsb/0711/gallery.NLT_hybrid_cars.fsb/5.html|publisher="CNN"|accessdate=2008-08-07] The car, a Commuter Cars Tango, is known for its ultra-narrow profile. The Tango's narrow track is offset by it's low center of gravity. The battery pack that supplies power for this all electric vehicle weighs in at 1,100 lbs and is placed low in the vehicle. The car is high performance. It accelerates to 60 miles per hour in four seconds and will reach a top speed of 150 mph. [citeweb|title=First 150mph Tango electric performance commuter to be delivered next week|url=http://www.gizmag.com/go/4048/|publisher="gizmag.com"|accessdate=2008-09-15]
* Cornell Automotive X-Prize Team - This team, based out of Ithaca, New York's Cornell University, is made up of more than seventy graduate and undergraduate students. Although their ultimate goal is to develop a plug-in hybrid car, the team has been using a 1991 Geo Metro to practice their individual teams can do it's existing systems. The car was run in the 2008 Green Grand Prix and finished 26th in a field of 46 contestants. [citeweb|title=Last-Minute Mods Get Cornell’s Auto X Prize Mule in Test Rally for Real-World MPG Clues|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4264822.html|publisher="Popular Mechanics"|accessdate=2008-09-15]
* Loremo - The name Loremo is an acronym that stands for "Low Resistance Mobile". Improving cars by means of reducing weight and air resistance is the focus of this company based in Munich, Germany. Their company was founded in 2000 and their base model "Loremo LS" weighs under 1,300 lbs and stands 3 feet 9 inches high. The low profile of the car provides a very low (0.22) aerodynamic drag coefficient. The low drag of the design means that the engine won't have to spend much energy pushing the vehicle through the air. The engine is a small displacement turbo diesel with an output of 20 horsepower.citeweb|title=Light, Sexy And Fun To Drive|url=http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/apr2006/bw20060404_870400.htm?chan=autos_autos+index+page_auto+shows|publisher="Businessweek"|accessdate=2008-09-14] The plan is to use an off-the-shelf engine and transmission. [citeweb|title=Top 10 Early Contenders for the Automotive X Prize|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4261425.html?page=3|author=Mike Allen|publisher="Popular Mechanics"|accessdate=2008-09-16]
* Miles Electric Vehicles - This company is based at the Santa Monica Airport on the west side of Los Angeles, California. They have a range of products that includes both passenger cars and electric trucks. One place their trucks have been used is on college campuses. [citeweb|title=Plant Operations Go Green With Purchase Of Electric Trucks|url=http://www.uh.edu/uhcnonline/2008/09sept/090908plantops-goesgreen.html|publisher="University of Houston"|accessdate=2008-09-16] Their electric sedan is labeled "XS500" and is based on a Chinese electric vehicle. The company hopes to produce 18,000 cars during it's first year of production. [citeweb|title=Miles Automotive's Electric Car Breaks Battery Barrier|url=http://www.edmunds.com/advice/alternativefuels/articles/122759/article.html|publisher="Edmunds.com"|accessdate=2008-09-16]
* Motor Development International - This team from France is working on an air car. Their efforts, lead by engineer Guy Negre for more than the last ten yeas, have resulted in the development of an engine. The engine and the rest of the vehicle are being paired together in conjunction with Tata Motors. [citeweb|title=An Air-Powered Car by 2009? Don’t Hold Your Breath|author=Richard S. Chang|url=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/guy-negre/|publisher="New York Times"|accessdate=2008-09-16] The results of the collaboration has produced the Tata OneCAT, a small car weighing in at under 1,000 pounds.
* Phoenix Motorcars - Phoenix Motorcars is an Ontario, California based company that is relying on lithium ion battery technology for it's line of cars and sport-utility trucks. The company that is supplying the batteries for their vehicles comes from Altair Nanotechnologies. Their battery is dubbed the "NanoSafe". Phoenix has hundreds of orders for their cars. Pacific Gas and Electric has placed an order. [citeweb|title=Electric SUV is delayed|author=Michael Kanellos|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9765749-7.html|publisher="CNET Networks"|accessdate=2008-09-15]
* Psycho-Active - Compressed-air engines are the type of power for this development. The Moore, South Carolina company is putting their hopes in this emission-free propulsion system. The cars will likely be multi-fueled hybrids.
* Tesla Motors - The Tesla Roadster is a high performance all-electric vehicle that was unveiled to the public in 2006. The vehicle shares some of its components with the Lotus Elise. Lotus cars has been working to develop the car in San Carlos, CA.
* Venture Vehicles - This team is developing a three-wheeled vehicle that is called "VenturOne". The vehicle is a 1,400 lb motorcycle / car hybrid that banks as it turns.
* Visionary Vehicles - This team is the focus of Malcolm Bricklin, an entrepreneur that is working to develop plug-in hybrids on a large scale.
* Western Washington University - Of more than five dozen entrants in the competition this is only one of two university-based teams. [citeweb|title=CU to show off its 100-mpg car-in-progress at state fair|url=http://www.physorg.com/news138381966.html|author=Krishna Ramanujan|publisher="PhysOrg.com"|accessdate=2008-09-26] They are based at WWU's Bellingham, Washington campus. Their group of students at Western's Vehicle Research Institute have what's been described by a local newspaper as having "very possibly the best school in the country for total car design." [citeweb|title=Notable in the Northwest|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003975210_collwebhotprograms.html|author=Carol Tice|publisher="Seattle Times"|accessdate=2008-09-16]
* ZAP - Santa Rosa, California's ZAP motor company is looking for a Zero Air Pollution vehicle. They've been on track to do so since 1994. The company builds and sells the ZAP Xebra, officially classified as a three-wheeled electric motorcycle. The vehicle was launched in May 2006 and is manufactured in sedan and pickup styles.

See also

* Ansari X PRIZE
* Fuel efficiency
* Plug-in hybrid

References

External links

* [http://progressiveautoxprize.org/ Progressive Automotive PRIZE homepage]
* [http://xprizecars.com X Prize Cars] Features detailed information on many of the cars/teams competing for the AXP.
* [http://icl.coop/archive/03_08/2ndFeature1.htm "Building the 100+ MPG Car: Electric co-op member works to shape the future of the automobile industry."] Illinois Country Living magazine, March 2008 issue focuses on Illuminati Motor Works and the AXP.
* CNN : [http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/03/20/mpg.xprize.ap/index.html X Prize offering $10M purse for 100-mpg vehicle] 2008-03-20
*Edmunds : [http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=120231 Multimillion-Dollar Automotive X PRIZE Aims for Vehicles That Make 100-Plus MPG] April 2007
* [http://progressiveautoxprize.org/news/automotive-x-prize-seeks-100-mpg-car Automotive X Prize Seeks 100-MPG Car] 2007-05-20