X Prize Announces New Challenge: A 'Green' Car

NEW YORK - And they're off! A new challenge to build an eco-friendly, efficient car - for a $10 million purse - began today with an announcement of the details of the Automotive X Prize at the New York Auto Show. The latest X Prize Foundation challenge for aspiring innovators is to design a "viable, clean and super-efficient" car that people actually want to buy and that will "help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change," according to the Foundation. So far, 64 international teams have signed up for the challenge, sponsored by Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. Their rolling inventions will compete for a $10 million prize in the culmination of the challenge: two long-distance stage races that reflect real driving conditions, to be held in 2009 – the Qualifying Race and the Grand Prize Final. "This is a race for the future; it is a race we must win," said Peter Diamandis, X Prize Foundation chief executive officer and chairman. In the races, the cars will have to hit a minimum speed and achieve a fuel efficiency of at least 100 miles per gallon of gasoline energy equivalent. They must also be ready for production on the market. No flashy concept cars please. "We're talking about real cars that can be brought to market in the real-term that people will want to buy," Diamandis said. The mileage requirement would limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the cars to under 200 grams per mile. Currently, cars account for nearly one-fifth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. And American cars and light trucks are responsible for 45 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted by automobiles globally, the Foundation notes. The average fuel economy of American cars has declined in recent years, and while hybrids are commercially available, most entirely "green" prototypes from the main auto companies are years away from mass production. "This competition is an investment in the future of the automobile," said Glenn Renwick, Progressive's president and chief executive officer.

The competition will allow for two classes of green cars: a mainstream class (your traditional, four or more passenger, four-wheel deal) and an alternative class for more unusual designs (they must still seat at least two passengers, but can have any number of wheels). Mainstream cars must also have climate controls, an audio system and at least 10 feet of cargo space. They must be able to go from zero to 60 in 12 seconds and hit a minimum top speed of 100 mph. Alternative vehicles must hit at least 80 mph.