Automotive X-Prize
by Chris Tilley
As of 2004 cars on US roads accounted for 314 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. (source) That is more than the 15 largest coal plants in the United States.(source) The average car on US roads gets 19.3 MPG and that number has actually been decreasing since 1988 as people switched to light trucks, SUVs and vans.
The Automotive X-prize has the goal of developing super efficient cars with mileage greater than 100 MPG or equivalent.(source) One of their guiding principals is to be technologically neutral. One of the measure they are using is the MPGe which stands for miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent. Wikipedia has an excellent page describing what it is and emissions from each alternatives.(source) So super efficient gas, hybrids, electric, hydrogen and anything else are all welcome and can compete on a level playing field.
Aptera is one of the contestants.
There are a number of entries from all over the world that are competing.(source) There are currently 20 teams that are registered and over a hundred that have signed a letter stating that they intend to compete. The teams are using everything from straight gas to electric and hydrogen for fuel. They are using regenerative braking in a number of ways including recharging batteries and hydraulic hybrids. A lot are going with ultra light designs and three wheel designs to reduce rolling friction. That said there are at least two teams competing with heavier vehicles like SUVs.
The competition is going to consist of qualifying race in mid to late 2009 and the final race in 2010. The contest will be timed events in varied driving conditions designed to simulate real word driving. The fastest team while still maintaining the MPGe and emission targets wins. The goal obviously is to win but the loser will also get lots of publicity. It sort of going to be like American Idol, there is one winner but a number of performers from the top ten have albums out in the first year. We will see a number of these vehicles in the market place whether they win or lose the race.
The real winner will be the environment. The average car right now get 19.3 MPG if we increase that to 100MPGe we cut our emissions from cars to 1/5 today’s values. That would take our 314 million tonnes of carbon dioxide down to 63 million tonnes. That is equivalent to taking out the top 11 coal plants. These number assume that we are not adding more cars to the road and right now we are so there are other initiatives like transit and modeling communities to encourage walking and biking that we need. Also if we implement something like Al Gore’s Repower America, electric cars will be zero emission.
Wow! Technology is amazing. Also it is nice to see friendly
competitons that are fun like the North American Solar Car Rayce.
Unfortunately, it is not feasible , as of yet, to drive solar cars.
Engineering etc. students just use this competition to exercise their
skills of planning, budgeting, budgeting time and available power, racing,
engineering, designing , building a car, researching, and teamwork skills etc.
Its good know before I buy a car, as I explained in medicine Hat at the college, (I’m in the medicine Hat Running Club) I use a bicycle, walk, run, or take the bus. It’s more for the savings in $ than for the environment.
But, the environment benefits from my practices. Tickets for the Olymics 2010 which I plan to attend, and may be eco-friendly too in the paper plates, cups etc. are going swifly. Opening ceremonies had an amazing 80,000
Canadians applicants already, and had to resort to a lottery selection.
keep up the good work and reports. I enjoy reading about your quest!
Keith
Comment by Keith — Monday, December 22, 2008 @ 7:56 pm