The Finals phase of the Automotive X Prize competition is coasting down, literally. This third major phase in the $10 million contest to build a market-viable car that could achieve 100 MPGe began with 15 cars from 12 teams. Since the technical inspections began on July 19th, the field has been culled down to seven cars. Along the way there was much drama and excitement, as these talents finalists vied for bragging rights and a big check.

There were some real upsets, with Edison2 blowing an engine on its Alternative class car, Aptera and Zap being unable to complete the combined performance/efficiency race, and Commuter Cars' Tango failing to meet the minimum fuel-economy requirement. These are all respected teams that made it through significant challenges to make it this far. And there were triumphs, such as the RaceAbout university team from Finland making a very strong showing in the race. The results from this phase are still being analyzed by X Prize officials, and we hope to share them soon.