Sixty-Four Teams Go For The X Prize
Sixty-four teams have been assembled thus far to compete for the Automotive X Prize. The goal of the competition is to design a vehicle that can achieve a fuel economy rating of at least 100 mpg. The competition offers $10 million in prizes. Progressive Insurance Co is sponsoring the competition.
To date, fifty-one teams from 22 states, along with thirteen international entries from Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK have filed a letter of intent to compete for the top prize. Entry into the race will be closed in mid-2008, when race organizers begin to evaluate proposed designs for manufacturability, safety, cost, durability, and marketability to ensure that the designs comply with the contest requirements that the entries are adaptable for mass production and appeal to ordinary consumers. All competition vehicles must also meet the US EPA Tier II bin 5 standards.
Entrants must adhere to all current US vehicle safety standards. The entrants will be judged on their mass production costs, assuming a 10,000-unit production run. Designs that exceed what the market will bear will be excluded from competition. Vehicles must also deliver the features that consumers expect to find when purchasing a vehicle. Finally, entrants must also produce a business plan for bringing their vehicle to the marketplace.
The competition will feature two entry classes: mainstream and alternative. All entries must meet the fuel economy and emissions standards, regardless of their class. The mainstream-class vehicles will have four or more wheels, seat four or more passengers and will meet conventional size and performance expectations. Alternative-class entries have no minimum number of wheels, but must accommodate at least two passengers.
Entries that are adjudged to qualify will then compete in a staged, cross-country race that will test the designs’ speed and endurance; their ability to travel significant distances; and measure their overall performance in the race. To win, the fastest vehicle that also meets the established 100-mpg fuel efficiency standard and a CO2 emissions standard of not more than 200 grams per mile will be declared the winner.
April 1, 2008 - by Hybrid Car Chat · Filed Under Hybrid News |
