From the more than one hundred hopeful applicants — teams consisting of engineers, scientists, mechanics, and students — only 43 teams have made it past the latest grueling round of judging in the Progressive Automotive X Prize contest.
The teams that will continue in the competition bring with them 53 vehicles representing 18 states, 10 countries, and 6 fuel types. The competition has two classes in its competition division — Mainstream and Alternative — in which the teams are divided, 28 and 25, in the two respective classes.
I wrote recently about the highly anticipated competition, sponsored by Progressive Insurance and The X Prize Foundation, which will award the team who successfully meets the competition guidelines a cool $10 million.
Progressive Auto Insurance announced in March of last year their plans to joint-sponsor the competition with The X Prize Foundation, an educational nonprofit seeking radical breakthrough in technology via generously-rewarded competitions.
Progressive's sponsorship provides not only the prize money for the contest, but it also offers the insurance company positive publicity and a means by which to promote vehicle and driving safety, since safety is among the various components of the competition.
This stage of the competition filtered the teams who would move onward by nearly half. Entrants moving forward were successful in proving to a panel of automotive experts that their vehicles will be ready for track tests and the race portion of the competition this spring (speed is a determinant in the competition).
They also had to present business plans outlining how they could produce a winning vehicle for the masses:
There must be a credible plan to manufacture, sell, and service 10,000 vehicles (or conversions) per year by 2014. The plan must show that the national fuel infrastructure will support the vehicles, especially if any non-standard fuels or fueling-methods are to be used.
The still-competing teams include a mix of giant car makers, like Tata Motors (owner of Jaguar and Land Rover), as well as Silicon Valley entrepreneurs SABA Motors and Tesla. . . and some teams from smaller, more modest roots, like Canadian team Veperformance.
Another qualifying team, Optamotive, is based in Ottawa and San Jose, CA. Their mission: "Optamotive will be the company to bring a pure battery electric vehicle competing in the alternative class to the apex of engineering design excellence and consumer attraction."
Western Washington University's team is comprised of three separate components: the vehicle team, the business team, and the marketing/PR/fundraising team. Each of the teams is made up of students in that particular field of study at WWU. For example, the marketing/PR/fundraising team utilizes students from the communication and journalism departments, who work with the business team to develop the marketing and advertising plans for their vehicle.
Finland has an all-student team, as well: RaceAbout Association is comprised of students from various disciplines under the leadership of a faculty member, hailing from the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki.
And what would a great competition be without a Cinderella?
Among the corporate-backed, high-profile teams of engineers and technical minds is a team from a West Philadelphia high school. . . whose members are not even legally of age to drive their entries in the race portion of the competition.
The West Philly Hybrid X Team, comprised of twelve students from West Philadelphia High School, is entering two vehicles in the competition under the supervision of former math and science teacher Simon Hauger.
The students have each put in an average of 10 hours a week for the designing and building of the vehicles. The team has successfully raised $300,000 of its projected $400,000 budget for the competition since 2008, when they decided to enter the contest.
The West Philly Hybrid X Team is also an example of an Alternative division entry. Their two-seater, biodiesel hybrid sports car will run on a Volkswagen TDI 1.9 liter engine and an Azure Dynamics electric motor driving the rear-wheels of the vehicle. The electric motor will be the vehicle's primary motor.
As X Prize's website describes the participants, "these competitors come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from large auto manufacturers to independent backyard inventors. They heard the call to action and decided that they can make a difference."
Performance testing will begin in spring 2010 and winners will be announced in September 2010.
Of course, the team that takes home the $10 million cash prize will be dubbed the official "winner," but the bigger picture here is the innovation, technology, and a great spirit for the building of green vehicle technology that will come from this contest. . . and from competitions and programs like it in the future.
Regards,
Brigid
P.S. A complete list of qualifying teams and more information about this exciting competition is available here.
Comment 
Subscribe to