Automotive X Prize Winners Announced

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Team Edison 2’s “Very Light Car
Team Edison 2’s “Very Light Car" lives up to its name with a curb weight of 830 pounds.
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The E-Tracer, made by X-Tracer Team Switzerland from Winterthur, Switzerland, reached the greatest fuel economy in the Progressive Automotive X Prize competition, achieving more then 200 MPGe.
The E-Tracer, made by X-Tracer Team Switzerland from Winterthur, Switzerland, reached the greatest fuel economy in the Progressive Automotive X Prize competition, achieving more then 200 MPGe.
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Team Edison 2’s “Very Light Car” can achieve the energy equivalent of 102.5 miles per gallon of gasoline (MPGe).
Team Edison 2’s “Very Light Car” can achieve the energy equivalent of 102.5 miles per gallon of gasoline (MPGe).
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Li-ion Motors Corp. of Mooresville, N.C., won the
Li-ion Motors Corp. of Mooresville, N.C., won the "alternative side-by-side" class with its Wave II, an all-electric car powered by lithium-ion batteries.
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X-Tracer Team Switzerland won the
X-Tracer Team Switzerland won the "alternative tandem" class with the E-Tracer, essentially an all-electric, enclosed motorcycle.
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The Wave II by Li-ion Motors Corp. of Mooresville, N.C., even has trunk space in their all-electric car that achieves 187 MPGe.
The Wave II by Li-ion Motors Corp. of Mooresville, N.C., even has trunk space in their all-electric car that achieves 187 MPGe.

The X Prize Foundation and Progressive Insurance awarded $10 million on Sept. 16 to three teams that won the Progressive Automotive X Prize.

Edison2, from Charlottesville, Va., claimed half of the prize purse by winning the “mainstream” class with its “Very Light Car,” a four-wheeled, aerodynamic vehicle that runs on E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) and seats four. The vehicle achieved the energy equivalent of 102.5 miles per gallon of gasoline (MPGe). It also achieved the lowest drag coefficient of any car with four wheels ever tested at Chrysler Proving Grounds, and it lived up to its name with a curb weight of only 830 pounds.

Earning a $2.5 million prize with a win in the “alternative side-by-side” class, the “Wave II” from Li-ion Motors Corp. of Mooresville, N.C., is an all-electric car powered by lithium-ion batteries. It seats two people, side-by-side. The car achieved 187 MPGe and demonstrated a driving range of more than 100 miles. Its distinctive look features an aerodynamic body that encloses all four wheels.

The remaining $2.5 million was awarded to X-Tracer Team Switzerland from Winterthur, Switzerland, which won the “alternative tandem” class with the E-Tracer, essentially an enclosed, all-electric motorcycle that deploys two extra outrigger wheels at low speeds to stabilize the vehicle. The E-Tracer achieved more than 200 MPGe, the greatest fuel economy reached in the competition. Its range exceeds 100 miles.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was heavily involved in the Progressive Automotive X Prize, providing $9 million in grants to support education, outreach and technical operations related to the competition. For the final stage of the competition, the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory performed dynamometer tests under controlled laboratory conditions to verify each vehicle’s performance.

  • Published on Sep 22, 2010
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