The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize rewards$10 million to automotive teams that achieve 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) in real-world conditions. This process took the next step on June 30th with the completion of the second-round Knockout Stage. Progressive Insurance counted 111 teams among its original group and recently narrowed down its contestants to 12 teams with 15 vehicles. The Automotive X Prize continues on July 19th with the start of track races and exercises in the Finals stage.
Every team in the Automotive X Prize went through testing and safety inspections starting April 26th at the Michigan International Speedway. The Shakedown Stage required all teams to pass evaluations of braking, acceleration, refueling times and maneuverability. These tests were repeated at the beginning of the recent Knockout Stage. After passing a battery of tests, each vehicle needed to achieve an MPGe of at least 66.7 to advance to the Finals stage. Entrants needed to demonstrate overall ranges of 67 miles for the Alternative Class and 134 miles for the Mainstream Class. These criteria were demonstrated in Urban and City Efficiency Tests with strictly enforced minimum speeds and maximum stops.
The group of 15 entrants included two vehicles in the Mainstream Class and 13 vehicles in the Alternative Class. The Very Light Car #97 and #98 by Edison2 represent the Mainstream Class in the Finals Stage. These vehicles designed by Oliver Kuttner use E85-powered combustion engines to meet mileage standards. The Alternative Class features two-seat vehicles like the battery-electric Aptera 2e, the hybrid Viking 45 by Western Washington University and the gas-powered Spira4U. These finalists will need to achieve 100-mile ranges for Alternatives and 200-mile ranges for Mainstreams as well as the 100 MPGe standard in the Finals Stage.
After the Finals Stage ends on July 30th, the Automotive X Prize culminates in a Validation Stage at the Argonne National Laboratories. This stage uses laboratory testing to determine the legitimacy of results by teams who may surpass difficult mileage and range standards. Progressive Insurance, the Department of Energy and Consumer Reports are using the Automotive X Prize to bring forth roadworthy vehicles capable of high mileage. Even if the $10 million in prizes go unclaimed this year, we should see a wide variety of vehicle technologies that can be used to reduce fuel consumption in the future.
