The Automotive X-Prize is a competition being fueled (ha) by the X Foundation to create a new generation of green technology cars. The competition is open to anyone - the X Foundation is hoping that by offering a $10 million cash prize for a functional, fuel efficient car they will yield greater results than awarding prizes for theories/past accomplishments in green technology. I am no economist, but this definitely appeals to my free market side :) The latest update is about Auto X-Prize Entry Runs on Auto X-Prize TrashThe rules:
"The cars have to be production-capable, meaning they meet all federal safety guidelines, it must be possible to build 10,000 of them annually within reasonable costs, they have to be desirable (granted, that's a highly subjective criteria) and the teams must have a viable business plan for producing and selling 10,000 vehicles annually by 2014.
The vehicles must deliver at least 100 MPGe...Electric vehicles must have a range of 200 miles for the "mainstream" class - defined as a car resembling your typical five-passenger-compact - and 100 for the anything-goes "experimental" class.
As for emissions, total well-to-wheels CO2 production can't exceed 200 grams per kilometer. For the sake of comparison, the Toyota Prius produces 114 g/km at the tailpipe."
Links to more info on the competition:
This article highlights 25 of the entries.
Wired's cover story on the X-Prize
Mad Max Meets Cannonball Run in Alt-Fuel Race to Vegas
Veggie-Oil Lotus Wins Alt-Fuel Race to Vegas (pictured below)
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