Automotive X Prize finalists announced

Final competitors in the Progressive Automotive X Prize were revealed this morning at an event in New York City. From 97 registered entries, there are 43 teams advancing in the competition for the $10 million prize to be awarded to the team that demonstrates a production-ready car capable of getting 100 mpg or energy equivalent (MPGe) and being sold profitably at a reasonable price. The finalists have passed expert review of business plans and initial technical specifications.

“The teams and vehicles represented in this group are the most viable in our competition and we believe that together they are positioned to make a huge impact on the automotive marketplace,” noted X Prize CEO and Chairman Dr. Peter Diamandis (pictured).

These teams are entering 53 cars total, split between two classes: 28 Mainstream and 25 Alternative. Several teams were at the event today, and we will post brief profiles sharing their interesting stories and their competition vehicles this week.
 
The finalists represent a diverse group, with teams heralding from 14 states and 10 countries total. The vehicles use a wide range of powertrains, with 16 running on gasoline, 22 battery-sourced electric, six E85, six biodiesel, two diesel, and one natural gas.
 
As the finalists further development their vehicles, they next major milestone will be a series of track tests in spring 2010. Consumer Reports will bring a critical perspective on vehicle safety, features, and technology to the competition by participating in the track evaluations. (Read “Consumer Reports teams with X Prize Foundation.”)

Team	Fuel	City/State	Country
MAINSTREAM CLASS These vehicles must carry four or more passengers, have four or more wheels, and offer a 200-mile range.
American HyPower	Gasoline + Hydrogen	US- Colorado	USA
APET-X	Electric	Hong Kong	China
BDCOTSRUS	Biodiesel	Chuluota, FL	USA
BITW Technologies	Biodiesel	Palmyra, IN	USA
Boulder Electric Vehicle	Electric	Boulder, CO	USA
Combined Technology Solutions	Gasoline	US - Maryland	USA
Cornell	Diesel	Ithaca, NY	USA
Delta Motorsports	Electric	Northants	UK
Edison² (3)	E85	Charlottesville, VA	USA
Eltra Technology, Inc.	Gasoline	Effingham, IL	USA
EnerMotion	Biodiesel	Caledon, Ontario	Canada
Enginer	Gasoline + Steam	Troy, MI	USA
ENVERA	Gasoline	Mill Valley, CA	USA
Global-E (2)	Gasoline & Electric	Mandeville, LA	USA
Gomecsys (2)	Gasoline	Naarden	Netherlands
Illuminati Motor Works	Electric	Virden, IL	USA
Porteon	Gasoline	Portland, OR	USA
Team FourSight	Biodiesel	Morgantown, WV	USA
Team HydroPhi	Diesel + Hydrogen	Houston, TX	USA
Team ULV-3	Biodiesel	Chanhassen, MN	USA
Tesla	Electric	San Carlos, CA	USA
VePerformance	Electric	La Plaine, QU	Canada
West Philly Hybrid EVX	Gasoline	Philadelphia, PA	USA
WIKISPEED	Gasoline	Denver, CO	USA
ALTERNATIVE CLASS These vehicles must carry two or more passengers, have no constraints on the number of wheels, and allow for a 100 mile range.
AMP	Electric	Blue Ash, OH	USA
Aptera	Electric	Vista, CA	USA
Edison² (2)	E85	Charlottesville, VA	USA
ENVERA	Gasoline	Mill Valley, CA	USA
Future Vehicle Technologies	Gasoline	Maple Ridge, BC	Canada
OptaMotive	Electric	Stittsville, ON	Canada
Persu Mobility	Gasoline	Los Angeles, CA	USA
RaceAbout	Electric	Helsinki	Finland
SABA	Electric	San Jose, CA	USA
Spira	Gasoline	Banglamung, Chonburi	Thailand
SSI Racing	Electric	San Diego, CA	USA
Tango Commuter Cars	Electric	Spokane, WA	USA
Tata Motors	Electric	Coventry	UK
Team EVI	Electric	Mooresville, NC	USA
Team EVX	Electric	Dallas, TX	USA
Team FourSight	Electric	Morgantown, WV	USA
TTW Italia	CNG	Torino, TO	Italy
TW4XP	Electric	Rosenthal, Hessen	Germany
Urbee	E85	Winnipeg, MA	Canada
West Philly Hybrid EVX	Biodiesel	Philadelphia, PA	USA
Western Washington University	Gasoline	Bellingham, WA	USA
X-Tracer (2)	Electric	Uster	Switzerland
ZAP!	Electric	Santa Rosa, CA	USA

Look for ongoing X Prize coverage in the Cars blog.

—Jeff Bartlett

Learn more about the Automotive X Prize competition. And learn more about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section.

Comments

[Cale]

Where are the entrees from Ford, GM, Chrysler, General Electric, Westinghouse, Boeing, Cummins, etc? These "finalists" look like reality show contestants, not the A-list of American transportation technology.

If the $10 million isn't worth competing for by the companies that have the resources and existing programs in place to successfully compete, what does that tell you about the viability of the engineering platforms that made the cut? IMHO, there's a lot of blue sky engineering being thrown up for this prize. $10 million isn't small change but it still doesn't seem to be worth the bragging rights.

[Albert]

The purpose of the X Prize Foundation's efforts have been to encourage public research outside of the mainstream industry. As it turns out, the X Prize Foundation dedicated an entire other division for "A-List" automakers to show off their tech called the "Demonstration Division," which is not eligible for the prize.