More than two dozen super-efficient vehicles rolled into Michigan International Speedway at the end of April for the initial phase of the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize competition.
The competition, which is intended to inspire a new generation of viable super-efficient vehicles capable of achieving 100 MPGe (miles per gallon or its energy equivalent), announced that 22 teams representing 27 vehicles survived Shakedown -- the first of three on-track testing stages -- and will now move on to the Knockout Qualifying Stage to be held June 20-30 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, Michigan.
Twenty-eight teams representing 36 vehicles from across the globe were invited to MIS to officially start on-track performance testing as part of the Shakedown competition stage on April 26. 24 participated, while two European teams will make up the round in June -- they were unable to make the trip due to the eruption of the volcano in Iceland.
During the Shakedown, the competitors were put to the test during a variety of efficiency, safety, and performance evaluations conducted by competition judges, including automotive engineers from
Consumer Reports. Tests included rigorous technical inspections and on-track safety tests, including zero-to-sixty acceleration and braking tests, an emergency double lane change avoidance maneuver, and durability.
At the Knockout Stage, teams must demonstrate that their vehicles can meet or beat a 67 MPGe fuel efficiency target –- two-thirds of the final MPGe requirement –- to qualify for the Finals Stage where they will compete to win a portion of the $10 million prize purse.
There are two classes of competitors: Mainstream, which must seat four and have at least four wheels and a 200-mile range; and Alternative, which must seat two and have a 100-mile range. The accompanying photo shows Alternative qualifier Aptera's three-wheeled electric car zipping through the crash aversion track.
The qualifiers display a range of fuel choices, including electric, biofuels, hydrogen, steam, and gasoline. They also range in levels of experience: from established automakers to start-ups, universities, inventors, and even a high school.
The public is invited to view the vehicles and meet competing teams during
public days scheduled for June 25 and July 23, 2010, as well as during the Great Lakes Wine Festival the weekend of June 26 at MIS. Information regarding the public days is available online at
www.progressiveautoxprize.org.
Read
Metromode's previous coverage of the X Prize
here and
here.
Source: Lauren Reese, Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE
Photo Courtesy of Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZEWriter: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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