At least 25 teams have been accepted to compete in the Automotive X Prize, beginning later this year. The X Prize organization announced that the entry list will close at the end of this month. Entrants fall into two classes, a Mainstream class that must seat four, have a 200-mile range, and have at least four wheels; and an Alternative class that must carry at least two and have a 100-mile range.
Indian industrial giant Tata is entering two production vehicles: its subcompact hybrid Indica Vista in the Mainstream class, and an all-electric version of the tiny Nano (attempting to crown itself as the cheapest car in the world).
Motor Development International/Zero Pollution Motors, a French design and engineering firm famous for the “air car,” which runs on compressed air, and will be entered in the Alternative class.
Aptera, a California startup company that was already building a small, aerodynamic electric two-seater that looks like a wingless Cessna. The company says it will deliver the first electric models to consumers later this year.
Zap Motors, an established California maker of electric bikes as well as off-beat three-wheeled trucks and electric cars. Zap plans to enter its upcoming Alias electric three-wheeler in the Alternative class.
Cornell University has been successful in several earlier alternative fuel competitions. It fielded a promising but unsuccessful entry in the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge to develop an autonomous-driving vehicle.
And Western Washington University, another successful team in previous alternative fuel races, including winning the California Clean Air race in 1991 and placing first in class in the 1991 GM-sponsored Sunrayce solar-car event in Australia. Western will enter a biomethane and CNG powered hybrid in the Alternative class. (Full disclosure: I spent 2-1/2 years getting a degree there and spent every opportunity in the vehicle-design workshops.)
Other teams are entering everything from hand-built fiberglass alternative cars to reengineered older, full-sized SUVs and even a Studebaker Avanti, running on a wide range of fuels, including gasoline, diesel, biomethane, grid electricity, and solar power (often including a mix of several). X Prize has decided not to accept cars that rely on hydrogen or ethanol, because of the lack of widespread availability and assurances that the fuel is environmentally beneficial. (All the cars so far have the capability to use gasoline, diesel, or grid electricity as a power source.) Other than Tata, no major automakers have signed up to compete, making it unlikely the Chevrolet Volt or other plug-in hybrids from major manufacturers will enter.
Consumer Reports will participate in judging the cars’ dynamic safety, and thus have a chance to drive and sample the cars. (Read: "Consumer Reports teams with X Prize Foundation on 100-mpg competition.")
Watch the Cars blog for continuing coverage as the contest progresses. See the full list of X Prize entrants.
—Eric Evarts
Learn more about the Automotive X Prize competition. And learn more about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section.
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