Auto X Prize Finalist: West Philadelphia Hybrid X team

It doesn’t take a major automaker, or even an established company to build a credible competitor for the Automotive X Prize. It turns out, it doesn’t even need a team run by grownups.

The West Philly Hybrid X team consists of a group of inner-city high school kids who do their work as an after-hours club. This volunteer effort has many benefits to the participants, including teaching teamwork and engineering essentials. Life skills and inspiration alone would make being involved in the program worthwhile, but the high schoolers and mentors can take pride in having both entries accepted as finalists in the competition. One is an Alternative Class car that uses a diesel hybrid drivetrain installed in a widely available sports-car kit. Their Mainstream Class entry (which requires four seats, four wheels, and a 200 mile range), made a visit to New York City as part of an event to announce the 43 finalists. (Read “Automotive X Prize finalists announced.”)

Called the West Philly Hybrid X EVX Focus, the Mainstream entry is a Ford Focus converted to hybrid-electric power, using a 60-horsepower electric motor coupled to a 1,300 cc, 80-hp Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine. The electric motor is powered by a 10.2 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack. The team says the Focus will maintain all its five-passenger cargo capacity and have a 13.8 cubic-foot trunk. Mileage is estimated to be 110 to 120 mpg equivalent, using gasoline and electricity. 

The team focused on using all-American technology, well, make that North American: The Focus is made in Mexico, and the Harley-Davidson engine in Wisconsin. The team has also explored having the car built locally in Philadelphia.

X Prize teams have to have a viable business plan to produce and sell 10,000 of each of their cars. The West Philly Hybrid X team plan factors buying Focus chassis as “gliders”--sans engine and transmission-- from Ford, to keep the total price under $20,000.

Regardless of the final results from the Auto X Prize to be determined next year, clearly the West Philly team is made up of winners.

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

—Eric Evarts with Jeff Bartlett 

Automotive X Prize DASH+ student dashboard contest

The Automotive X Prize competition is underway with the recently announced list of 43 teams advancing to the next stage in the race to build a 100-mpg car. The program has sparked interest from companies around the world, but for the next generation of innovators and engineers out there, the X Prize, in connection with the U.S. Department of Energy has another contest. The DASH+ competition is a challenge for national high school student teams use science, math, technology and engineering to design a vehicle dashboard for the future. The best dashboard design should incorporate feedback mechanisms and supports behavior change to help drivers maximize fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

To enter, the first step is to gather a team of between two and five students together aged 14 years or older and one adult mentor over 21. The team will then come up with a design of gauges, dials, and other audio and visual sensors that would help the driver participate in saving energy.

The next step is to come up with a technical plan as to how the design will display the data on fuel economy and environmental impact that would help encourage more efficient driving behavior.

And finally, the pitch should be made on video to encourage automakers and drivers to adopt your ideas to help people become more aware of energy use in vehicles.

Registration is open from now until February 1, 2010. All submissions are due March 1, 2010. Three semifinalists will be announced in May 2010 and voting will be open to the public. The grand-prize winner will be announced in June 2010 and the winning team will travel to Detroit in July to present their dashboard idea to representatives from the automotive industry. In Detroit they will have also the opportunity to check out the competing Automotive X Prize vehicles. This contest should inspire students to apply arts and sciences in creative ways, and hopefully inspire the next-generation automotive designers and engineers.

For more information on the contest see the Fuel our Future Now site.  Learn more about the Automotive X Prize competition. And find out more about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section. 

—Liza Barth  

Auto X Prize Finalist: OptaMotive E-Rex

The OptaMotive E-Rex electric vehicle has advanced in the Progressive Auto X Prize contest, passing the latest expert review and moving forward to the spring 2010 technical qualifiers. The E-Rex is an electrified version of the Campagna T-Rex, an open-air vehicle derived from a Yamaha motorcycle chassis and powered by a 1,400 cc bike engine. The prototype model on display at the Classic Car Club in Manhattan this week revealed a work in progress that promises to deliver both fun and efficiency in equal measures.
 
For this application, the big bike engine is replaced by an all-electric drivetrain energized by Thunder Sky lithium-ferrous batteries, selected in part for packaging reasons. The three-wheeler uses 96 batteries, each providing 40 amp/hrs. The company estimates a 100-mile range, with a mile per gallon equivalent (MPGe) rating of about 150.
 
Clearly, there isn’t much car to the E-Rex. It is essentially a dressed-up roll cage. The cockpit was more Spartan than other competitors’ vehicles on hand at the recent event. Like all entries, it is a work in progress, and a company representative said the instrument panel is still under development.
 
Ultimately, the open-air design helps keep weight under 2,000 pounds. The upside is that with more than 100 horsepower on direct tap, achieving acceleration of 0-60 mph under 10 seconds may prove to be an easy goal. The configuration also means that it is classified as a motorcycle, thereby sidestepping some federal regulations that can prove costly to meet and verify, as with the Zap Alias.
 
The T-Rex with its dino-juice-drinking internal combustion engine retails for about $50,000. Right now, OptaMotive estimates the pricing for an E-Rex could carry just a slight price premium above the T-Rex.

 —Jeff Bartlett

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

Auto X Prize Finalist: Amp Sky

In meeting several Progressive Auto X Prize finalists this week, it was clear that there are many ways to approach the $10 million challenge to develop a marketable car that can achieve a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). On hand at the New York City event, Advanced Mechanical Products (AMP) shared their smart strategy for producing electrified cars: convert existing production models.
 
The general concept behind the Amp Sky, and eventually an undisclosed Chevrolet model, is to replace the internal-combustion powertrain with a battery-electric system. And the key here is that Amp is matching the original configuration pound for pound, therefore retaining the weight and weight distribution of the original donor car. The benefit is that General Motors has spent hundreds of millions developing the car, including brakes, suspension, and steering systems. By sticking within basic factory specs, the “Amplified” vehicles should perform in a similar manner and ease future servicing.
 
With the Saturn Sky, Amp removes the engine, transmission, and differential, replacing those components with about 900 lbs. of Valence lithium-ion batteries and motors. The result is a weight balance within one percent of the original car. Amp claims their changes retain similar crash performance as the original car. To keep the transformation discreet, Amp routes the electric powertrain information to the existing instrument panel. Aside from badging and lack of exhaust pipes, one would be hard pressed to identify a parked Amp Sky from a gasoline-fueled model.
 
The two rear-mounted motors can accelerate the car “quicker than the original.” Published company estimates for 0-60 mph times range from six to eight seconds. Top speed is 90 mph. Based on usage, Amp figures 150-mile range per charge – much farther than the average commuter drives daily. Recharging fully drained batteries would take 3.5 hours, though a typical day may require just 1.5 hours from a 220-volt outlet. The company estimates its MPGe rating to be 125.
 
Amp is accepting preorders on the Sky, and the conversion cost is $25,000 plus a donor car. The batteries and motors are warranted for three years, 36,000 miles, and the company predicts the batteries will retain 80 percent of capacity at 100,000 miles.
 
 —Jeff Bartlett

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

Auto X Prize Finalist: Zap Alias electric car

Arguably the most striking model on display when the Progressive Automotive X Prize announced its 53 finalists this week, the ZAP Alias is racing toward production in mid 2010.
 
By designing the Alias as a three-wheeler, the company is able to cost effectively develop the vehicle without going through the expensive certification process required for four-wheeled cars, thereby saving millions of dollars. That said, safety has remained an engineering focus, as evidenced by the roll cage within the composite body. Zap claims the car will exceed federal automotive safety standards, and the cost savings will be passed on to customers, with an expected $35,000 price. (Reservations are being accepted now.)
 
As he gave us a tour of the three-seat vehicle, Zap CEO Steve Schneider explained that the auto industry meltdown has opened up new partnership and supplier opportunities that are aiding his company, and likely others. He shared a quote, we suspect often used, that the three-wheeled, three-passenger Alias reflects a 25-percent cutback back over four-wheeled vehicles that is well timed in this economy. Clearly, there are practical benefits to design, though he claims the Alias is every bit as stable as a traditional car. 
 
The front wheels are driven by a 216-volt electric motor and energized by a lithium-ion battery pack with a claimed 100-mile range. Zap estimates the miles per gallon equivalent rating will be 150-165 MPGe. Top speed is 75 mph.
 
The design means it would be registered as a motorcycle, and in some states a motorcycle license would be required to drive it.
 
Zap has been developing the Alias for the past four years. (The company itself has been in the electric-car market since 1994.) When production begins next year, they will produce an estimated 10-15 units per month, with larger-scale production planned with a cooperative venture now being developed.

 —Jeff Bartlett

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

Auto X Prize Finalist: Commuter Cars Tango

Looking like a small hatchback sliced in half, the Tango from Commuter Cars is one of 53 vehicles that have made the finalist cut in the Progressive Auto X Prize. Competing in the Alternative Class, the Tango is distinguished by its unique dimensions. It stretches just 8 feet, 5 inches long and it is 39-inches wide. That slender width makes the Tango five inches narrower than a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle. As President Rick Woodbury points out, if everyone drove a car half as wide as today’s average model, roads and parking lots could fit twice as many vehicles in the same space.

The car has two race-style bucket seats, positioned one behind the other, and Commuter Cars claims the car can seat two adults over six-feet tall. The front seat provides adequate space and comfort, though it is a unique experience to be able to rest an elbow on each window ledge. To address side-impact concerns, there are three protective bars within the doors.

The Tango uses 19 lead-acid batteries mounted on the bottom of the car for ballast. Commuter Cars calculates that the tallish car meets the NHTSA static rollover standard to achieve a five-star rating. The company claims a range of 40-60 miles and says the batteries can be recharged to 80 percent capacity in 10 minutes on a 110-volt outlet. Optional lithium-ion batteries would give a range of 150 miles. Two nine-inch electric motors drive the rear wheels with 1,000 ft.-lbs. of combined torque—that is more than twice the torque produced by a Chevrolet Corvette (424 ft.-lbs.). The car weighs about 3,300 lbs.

Don’t let the looks fool you, the Tango boasts a 0-60 mph time under four seconds and quarter-mile time of 12.8 seconds with the 228-volt lead-acid batteries. A 350-volt lithium-ion battery pack is under development, and it is expected to further enhance the sports-car-grade acceleration, while adding range. In its current configuration, Woodbury estimates the Tango has over a 100 miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe).

Consumer Reports will get a close-up look at the Tango’s performance during the competition’s technical evaluation next spring, as the Tango and other green machines compete for the $10 million prize. 

 —Jeff Bartlett and Eric Evarts

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

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.

Is the mpg claim still relevant?

In light of General Motors recent claim of 230 mpg for the fuel economy of the upcoming gas/electric Chevrolet Volt, Consumer Reports and the X PRIZE Foundation, sponsor of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE for vehicles that achieve 100 mpg, think a more inclusive, technology-neutral measurement needs to be devised. Many teams competing for the Automotive X PRIZE have entered cars that run on electricity, fuel other than gasoline, or a combination of power sources. The competition aims to award a $10 million prize for creating a car that gets 100 mpg; can be mass produced; and could be sold for an affordable price.

The mpg designation is the American standard of measuring gasoline, but for other energy sources, we believe a more neutral measure needs to be considered. The Automotive X PRIZE will rely on a measurement it calls miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe).

MPGe will use a formula to convert the use of heat energy into the equivalent of burning a gallon of gasoline. It will calculate the energy the cars use attributable to all sources used to propel the car.

The Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle has impressive technology and we look forward to testing the fuel economy, but GM says the 230 mpg claims were made using a new draft test protocol for testing the fuel economy of plug-in hybrid vehicles. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not published a protocol and is still working on the development of a test for these vehicles. We hope that manufacturers and the government will endorse MPGe as a new standard to help consumers make equal comparisons as more alterative-fuel vehicles hit the market.

For more on the Autotomotive X PRIZE competition, see our blog coverage. Also, check out our guide to fuel economy for more on saving fuel and alterative fuels.

—Liza Barth 

Green carmakers may emerge as next U.S. car industry

Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens is investing in a new car factory in Louisiana. The San-Diego-based company, V-vehicles, is keeping tight wraps on what type of car will be produced there, but Pickens said in a statement that it will be an “environmentally friendly” vehicle that will run on gasoline and eventually may offer a natural gas option. (In related news, the Potential Gas Committee on Thursday upped its estimate of available natural gas reserves in the United States by about 34 percent, due to improved recovery technology.)

This got me thinking about all the new start-up car companies popping up around the United States, as the traditional Detroit automakers (and even big imports with U.S. plants) are faltering.

Several we have written about here before include:

Tesla Motors – founded by PayPal billionaire Elon Musk, and based in Palo Alto, Calif., Tesla builds a $100,000 electric sports car, the Roadster, and has plans to build a seven-passenger electric sedan, the Model S. The company is seeking more than $350 million in funding from the Department of Energy to buy an existing factory to build the Model S.

Fisker Automotive – based in Irvine, Calif., is developing a plug-in hybrid (range-extended) electric luxury sedan called the Karma. Run by former BMW and Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker, who designed the car, the company has outsourced everything from manufacturing to engineering. The Karma will be built in Finland.

Carbon Motors – Based in Hermosa Beach, Calif., former law-enforcement officers and automaker executives are leading the company to offer a new, purpose-built police cruiser. So far the company is still working on developing a legal framework for the car, although it has shown a prototype. It says the car will be made in the U.S.

Zap – This long-time electric bicycle-maker based in Santa Rosa, Calif., has branched out into making small electric cars, including the Zebra 3-wheeled coupe and pickup.

Aptera – Run by a group of former auto industry executives, based in Vista, Calif., is developing a three-wheeled electric two-seater that it says will be built in California later this year, and initially only sold in the state.

Bright Automotive – based on a spinoff from the Rocky Mountain Institute think tank, Anderson, Indiana-based Bright plans to market a small(ish) electric delivery van, called the Idea, in 2011.

Myers Motors – born out of the defunct Corbin Motors, Myers, based in Tallmadge, Ohio, bought the fiberglass tooling and design of the Corbin Sparrow, which it sells as the Myers NMG, for No More Gas.

EV Innovations – Based in Las Vegas, EV Innovations has been converting cars to electric power for years, and it is now developing two of its own vehicles: the two-seat Wave and the Inizio sports car. Both are supposed to be ready by the time the competition begins for the Automotive X Prize later this year.

Admittedly, this is only a partial list. Other companies, are launching new motorcycles in the U.S., including Zero Motorcycles, and Brammo, which will be sold through Best Buy stores. The XPrize alone has attracted dozens of competitors developing plans to build fuel-efficient alternative cars in the U.S. And an industry has developed to build low-speed neighborhood electric vehicles such as the G.E.M. car around the country.

Just like the dawn of the 20th century, which saw a proliferation of horseless carriage builder, most of these modern startups may not last. But one or two, or one that follows behind them, may eventually thrive. So as Chrysler and General Motors shrink and become dependent on government support, it is encouraging to see American ingenuity springing in to fill the void.

--Eric Evarts

Final Automotive X Prize entries announced

On the one-year anniversary of the official launch of the Progressive Automotive X Prize, the final entries have been revealed. They represent 111 registered teams from 11 countries who have committed to building a vehicle that gets 100 mpg. The final contestants were announced during a press conference at the New York Auto Show. (See the full list here.)

Entries will fall into two categories: 80 Mainstream cars and 56 Alternative vehicles. Mainstream vehicles will have to have four seats, four wheels, and achieve the gasoline equivalent of 100 mpg. Alternative vehicles will have the same mileage target, but only need two seats and can have less than four wheels.

The teams have to have a viable business plan to build 10,000 cars, and the cars have to pass a variety of tests, including some performance and safety tests performed and judged by Consumer Reports engineers.

Then they will compete in two elimination rounds starting this fall, at events around the country. In the first round, later this year, the cars will have to pass all the tests and return 80 mpg. Those that make it through the first round will compete in 2010 in a similar competition where the cars must return 100 mpg. The winning team will receive a $10 million prize.

The final entries will run on a variety of fuels, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, compressed air, water, vegetable oil, and electricity. Many, but not all, will be hybrids. And two entries will run on urea. One team is from a high school in Philadelphia.

X Prize officials are keeping the identities of six teams confidential. On the official list, an entry from startup green automaker Fisker Automotive is conspicuously absent.

Organizers have also announced a Demonstration Division for major automakers, though no participants have been announced so far. The Chevrolet Volt is slated to get an EPA fuel economy rating of 100 mpg, and General Motors has said it plans to build 10,000 Volts. In the latest announcement, the company said the first full Volt prototypes would be produced June 1st.

For full details on non-confidential entries visit the Automotive X Prize Web site.

--Eric Evarts