Start Your Engines - X PRIZE -the race for 100 MPG and a $25 million prize

[hb06]

"This spring the Automotive X PRIZE will offer $25 million to anyone who can design and build a superefficient, commercially viable car that gets 100 miles per gallon. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the average fuel economy for the current fleet of autos available to American consumers is no better than Ford's (F ) original Model T—around 25 mpg."

"The hope is that the Automotive X PRIZE will goad the automakers into action. The best-selling Prius has already turned Toyota (TM ) into one of the most powerful green brands in the world."

"...perhaps, the best sign of the strength of the X PRIZEs: the proliferation of technologies and projects already working toward the award's main objectives. On the Web site (auto.xprize.org), the contest is announced this way: "People love their cars. They are vital links to our jobs, our community, ourselves. For everything we love about them, cars are chained to the most severe global crises of our time: oil dependence and climate change." With 40% of world oil output fueling the automotive industry (transportation soaks up 65% of all U.S. oil consumption), the world needs a car that gets 100 mpg."

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/conte...2Bamp%3B+design

[SomervillePrius]

This seems interesting!

$25 million could be great cash for someone like tesla or phoenix motors. I wonder what the criteria for success will be? I hope they make it possible for EV's and plug-ins to win.

[etyler88]

These X-prize things are great. But couldn't one of the Calcars already win it? Hey Calcars come get your money and make more plugins please.

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(etyler88 @ Mar 7 2007, 08:10 AM) [snapback]401665[/snapback]</div>

These X-prize things are great. But couldn't one of the Calcars already win it? Hey Calcars come get your money and make more plugins please.
[/b]

Right. With 25 million, they could set up for mass production of kits and sell them at a price I could afford.
They could go into business with Altairnano or A123.

I'll bet if they got the cost low enough they could get a very large number of pre-orders.
Dave M.

[efusco]

A draft of the guidelines was released today:
http://auto.xprize.org/xprize/guidelines.html

[dipper]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Mar 7 2007, 03:30 PM) [snapback]401867[/snapback]</div>

Right. With 25 million, they could set up for mass production of kits and sell them at a price I could afford.
They could go into business with Altairnano or A123.

I'll bet if they got the cost low enough they could get a very large number of pre-orders.
Dave M.
[/b]

I don't know. CalCars did not include the electricity in their computation for electricity use. I doubt it will get 100 mpge. At best, maybe 70 mpge with one full battery charge on a tank of gas. We don't know since there is no data so far.

It is almost like saying e85 on a SUV gets ~35mpg.