Automotive X Prize Finalists Announced

Credit: ZapWorld

By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, AllCarsElectric.com

July 29, 2010 -- While Nissan and Chevrolet fight it out to become the number one consumer electric vehicle of 2010, six electric vehicle companies most people have never heard of are battling it out to become $10 million richer.

That's the prize fund the winner of the Progressive Automotive X Prize could take home in September. The competition's purpose is to inspire a new generation of ultra-fuel efficient vehicles capable of achieving over 100 miles to the gallon of fuel.

For electric vehicles, that means traveling 100 miles or more on the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline.

It's not been easy. After a grueling two years of competition, which has seen a field of 136 vehicles and 111 teams narrowed to just nine vehicles and seven teams, many electric cars have fallen out of the competition.

These teams have included universities, start up firms, custom car companies and entrepreneurial individuals keen to cash in on the prize fund.

Naturally, many electric cars like the Zap Alias above were entered into the competition expecting to win over the gasoline-powered vehicles taking part.

Credit: Edison2.com

One solitary gasoline-powered vehicle remains, the ultra-futuristic, four-wheeled Edison 2, which resembles an small airplane without wings. The remaining competitors are all powered by electricity. These are the finalists:

Mainstream Class (Two vehicles, one team)

Edison2, Very Light Car #97 (Charlottesville, VA), Internal Combustion Engine

Edison2, Very Light Car #98 (Charlottesville, VA), Internal Combustion Engine

Alternative Class – Tandem (Two vehicles, one team)

X-Tracer, E-Tracer #72 (Switzerland), Battery Electric

X-Tracer, E-Tracer #79 (Switzerland), Battery Electric

Alternative Class – Side-by-Side (Five vehicles, five teams)

Aptera, Aptera 2e (San Diego, CA), Battery Electric

Li-ion Motors, Wave II (North Carolina), Battery Electric

RaceAbout Association, RaceAbout (Finland), Battery Electric

TW4XP, TW4XP (Germany), Battery Electric

ZAP, Alias (Santa Rosa, CA), Battery Electric

As the competition has progressed, teams have had to prove their vehicle's worth, completing stages designed to test each vehicle's safety, performance, fuel efficiency, handling, range and reliability.

Credit: Electric Raceabout

Aside from the Finnish-built Electric Raceabout, a two-seat sports car with ground-hugging stance and the looks of an exclusive price-tag, there are no other vehicles left in the X Prize competition that bear any resemblance to the vehicles we drive today.

But that's the exact reason behind the Automotive X Prize. The cars we drive today may be more fuel efficient, pollute less and give us unparalleled levels of comfort than the cars we drove 10 or 20 years ago, but are in no way as aerodynamic and fuel efficient as they could be.

Aerodynamic designs produce less drag when flying down the road. Drag is caused when air on the vehicle causes friction and wastes energy. In vehicles, drag is measured using the drag co-efficient. Lower the drag co-efficient and less energy is used to push it along.

In turn, efficiency is increased. You can see the futuristic designs of the finalists at the Progressive Automotive X Prize website, where you can also follow the teams' progress from the track stages of the competition to the validation stage. You can also follow the progress on the Consumer Report's website devoted to the competition.

Credit: Project TW4XP, University of Kassel

Visitors to the site can also vote for the vehicle they believe to be the most practical of the designs competing. Currently, the TW4XP, a three-wheeled design from Germany is proving to be the most popular among visitors to the site.

While some of the finalists plan to sell their vehicles on a commercial scale in the near future, we're not sure consumers are ready yet for the paradigm shift needed to own and drive such unique vehicles.

Credit: Aptera

However, as Aptera -- one of the finalists -- has already found out with its 2e, there are already consumers out there willing to support its take on the humble car.

Even if none of the designs in the final make it to large-scale production we're confident of one thing. The ideas and techniques used to produce vehicles capable of ultra-high efficiency travel could revolutionize the mainstream auto industry, even if the end result is something a little more mundane.