A mix of electrically powered and biodiesel and E85 ethanol fueled vehicles lead the list for the Automotive X Prize.
This story from Consumer Reports says the $10 million prize will go to the team that makes a production-ready car that gets 100 mpg or the energy equivilant AND is sold at a profit for a reasonable price:
“The teams and vehicles represented in this group are the most viable in our competition and we believe that together they are positioned to make a huge impact on the automotive marketplace,” noted X Prize CEO and Chairman Dr. Peter Diamandis.
These teams are entering 53 cars total, split between two classes: 28 Mainstream and 25 Alternative…
The finalists represent a diverse group, with teams heralding from 14 states and 10 countries total. The vehicles use a wide range of powertrains, with 16 running on gasoline, 22 battery-sourced electric, six E85, six biodiesel, two diesel, and one natural gas.
The next step for the 43 teams of finalists will be test their vehicles next spring.