The “holy grail” of car mileage, the Progressive Automotive XPrize may soon be awarded. A four passenger vehicle that gets 100 miles per gallon is set to receive the $ 5 million prize . Trials in Michigan are underway, and seems like that two cars have a very good chance of winning the prize.
The workings of the Automotive XPrize
The Automotive X prize is one of the numerous prizes supported by the X Prize foundation. Progressive Auto Insurance announced the Automotive XPrize in 2008. The competition judges autos depending on the standard EPA mileage estimates. The main X Prize is awarded to a four-passenger vehicle. The vehicles competing for the Automotive XPrize do not have to be ready for production, they just have to prove the concept is workable.
The competition for Automotive X Prize money
The 2010 Automotive X Prize competition began in Michigan on April 26. The automobiles are all being put through serious paces to test their functionality. City driving is emulated in some of the tests. The competition is also set up to emulate highway driving. Though the stated miles per gallon goal is 110, a team only has to reach 100 miles per gallon to get the prize. The safety and performance of the automobiles have to also be within safe driving thresholds.
Teams need ingenuity to win the XPrize races
The real-world conditions the Automotive XPrize competitors have to work in lend themselves to last-minute ingenuity. One requirement built to the Automotive XPrize is that passenger cabins stay below 90 degrees. The 95-degree temperatures in Michigan made that difficult, so a few teams are using ice and homemade air conditioning units to keep things cool. Driving techniques that make gallons of gas go even further are also on display.
Winning the XPrize is a real possibility
There are still two cars that may just win the automotive XPrize. Both could be taken out of the public eye and put through a wide variety of safety tests. If both pass, then the $5 million Automotive XPrize could be awarded.
