"All-Electric and Hybrid Cars to Race for the Auto X-Prize"
Posting by Staff
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 By Daemon Ali, News Report Staff Writer
October 16, 2007
Another breakthrough competition sponsored by the X-Prize Foundation is keeping the spirit of entrepreneurship alive. The Automotive X-Prize is challenging the international community to build the most clean, affordable and coolest looking vehicle that exceeds 100MPG and finishes the ultimate automotive race in the fastest time.
The competition aims to break our economies' addiction to oil and its adverse effects to the environment. Many of the vehicles entering the competition will be all-electric or multi-fuel hybrid. The competition's announcement has received a flurry of responses from the international automotive community. The NRDC, a United States non-profit organization of over a million scientists and environmental experts endorsed the project, announcing "the auto industry must rapidly adopt the next generation of vehicle technologies - advance power trains, lightweight materials, and renewable fuels. NRDC supports the Automotive X PRIZE as an innovative method to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of America's technological prowess, and accelerate the introduction of climate-friendly cars. The real winners of the Automotive X PRIZE will be the health of our planet and of our children."
The X-Prize Foundation plans to travel to multiple cities through 2010 gaining increased support for the competition. They have finalized a deal with Adobe and have garnered several early sponsorships. As of Oct. 2007, the AXP has registered 36 teams from countries worldwide.
Here are some great prototypes and in-production vehicles from competing teams. For information on more X-Prize competitions such as the latest Google Lunar X-Prize (an international robotic race to the moon) head over to the X-Prize Foundation site.
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Aptera Motors
Aptera typ-1
Now accepting orders
2-door
0-60 10sec
$29,200 diesel-electric hybrid model
$26,900 electric model
www.apteramotors.com
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Loremo AG
Loremo
Hatchback entry
Top Speed 220km
$15,000
117 MPG
Production 2009
www.loremo.com
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Velozzi
Velozzi
2-door 4-seater
100-200 MPG
0-60 Under 3 seconds
Multifuel Hybrid Electric
www.velozzi.org
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Phoenix Motors
Sport Utility Truck (SUT)
Now Accepting Orders
4-door
0-60 under 10 seconds
Electric
100 miles per 5 hour charge
2008 Limited Editions
www.phoenixmotorcars.com
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Tesla Motors
Tesla Roadster
Now Accepting Orders for 2008
2-door
0-60 under 4 seconds
Electric
Base Price $98,000
245 miles per charge
www.teslamotors.com
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