Progressive Automotive X PRIZE

AMP - After the X PRIZE

AMP, a Finalist and electric drivetrain producer based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has succeeded in bringing test vehicles to market since the completion of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE last summer. AMP's first all-electric models were the Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice convertibles and the Chevrolet Equinox.

“We probably have 100,000 electric miles on our vehicles,” states Steve Burns, AMP founder and CEO. “These early customers and actual road miles have helped us refine our craft to the point that we are now ready to validate and crash test our vehicles.”

In addition to the development work on their core GM products, AMP has delivered the first of 1,000 AMP electrified Mercedes Benz ML to Northern Lights Energy of Iceland. The agreement for 1,000 vehicles was signed on April 14, 2011 and volume delivery is expected to begin this fall. According to Burns, “Iceland is kind of a perfect storm for EV's. High gas prices, almost free electricity, high taxes on ICE based vehicles and moderate temperatures. Quite a test bed.”

Spira - After the X PRIZE

Spira, an international Finalist, has continued their push to launch a unique vehicle exclusive to the Asian automotive markets.  The Spira4U, currently being developed by an American team based in Thailand, has a foam body construction.  The vehicle showcased in the competition was powered by an internal combustion engine, but the team has recently begun collaboration with Electric Motorsport and the Tiger Motorcycle factory to create an electric Spira. 

“We are considering a couple of partners for producing electric Spiras for export. We are concentrating on an electric version as we are still seeking a gas scooter engine supplier that will meet emissions in the USA and Europe,” states Lon Ballard, CEO.  While developing new versions of the Spira4U, the team continues to work through vehicle safety requirements including vehicle crash performance.

Edison2 - After the X PRIZE

Edison2, the $5 million winner of the Mainstream Class has been very productive following the X PRIZE competition. The company is rapidly moving towards commercialization of their vehicle and has been investigating alternative drivetrains for use in the Very Light Car vehicle platform. These alternate drivetrains include a battery-powered electric version of the Very Light Car (VLC,) which, according to Edison2 spokesperson David Brown, “can solve EV's issues of range and battery weight.” Brown predicts that the electric VLC will have a range of over 100 miles using a 10 kilowatt-hour (kwh) battery pack. In comparison, the Nissan Leaf has a 77 mile range using 24 kwh.

Another important part of Edison2’s path to commercialization is safety. Ongoing computer-simulation crash testing is confirming what the team already knows from their history in racing:  with the right architecture a low mass car can be safe by today's standards. Edison2 plans to begin live crash testing this fall.

Aside from the company’s technological development, Edison2 is growing its company as well, acquiring a new property on the outskirts of Lynchburg, Va.  – the former Virginia Castings foundry at Mt. Athos.  This property will house a test track, on-site crash testing and the company’s offices. Edison2 has also expanded their team, bringing in additional design expertise from Jason Hill of Design by 11 and electric car expertise from Ron Cerven, the former team leader from Li-ion Motors, who led the Li-ion team to victory in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize Alternative Class.

“The next version Very Light Car will be roomier, friendlier, pass safety standards and turn heads -- while maintaining breakthrough efficiency,” stated David Brown.  It appears that Edison2 is well on their way to making that statement a reality.

Team EVX – After the X PRIZE

West Philadelphia High School, better known as Team EVX, was eliminated from the competition during the Knockout Phase, but the team has continued their work with efficient vehicles and developing the next generation of technology savvy young adults.

Early in 2011, Edison2, Mainstream Class winner, created a chassis of the Very Light Car for Team EVX to build as an all-electric car, the Electric Very Light Car (EVLC). The team has decided on a drivetrain utilizing Azure Dynamics electric motor and International Battery Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack. Subsequently, five students on the EVX Team entered the Clean Energy division of the Conrad Foundation’s Spirit of Innovation Awards (SOIA) that challenges high school students to use science, technology and entrepreneurship to solve real-world 21^st century problems. The students detailed their work on the EVLC for the contest and partnered with University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business to create a business and marketing plan. In May, the students won the SOIA and will be working on additional components of the business plan this summer.

On April 15, after tweaking and tuning the EVX GT, the team’s internal combustion engine powered competition vehicle, the team took a large group of students and teachers to the Green Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International, which featured a short and long road rally. The Chevy Volt won the short road rally and the EVX GT won the long road rally and logged the best MPGe of any car in the competition.

Perhaps most importantly, Simon Hauger, Team EVX leader, mentor, and program developer, has been working to advance the work of the EVX Team from after-school to an official high school program. The program, the Sustainability Workshop, will be housed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in conjunction with the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC), a $129 million initiative of the Department of Energy. The team is partnering with the GPIC, the Philadelphia School District and Drexel University for this effort and started classes early this month.

“For all that the X PRIZE did to foster the advancement of the automotive industry, the greater achievement will be a fundamental rethinking about how we educate today’s young people for tomorrow’s green economy,” states Ann Cohen, Team EVX advisor and mentor.

West Philly EVX will also be honored by Popular Mechanics for their achievements at a ceremony in New York on October 10, 2011.  What an inspiring group of young adults!

X PRIZE Education at Solar Decathlon and NC Museum of Life and Science

Education Outreach for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE continued in September and October, 2011 at the  U.S.Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon held in the National Mall's West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. Nineteen collegiate teams from around the world  competed to determine which group had created the most efficient solar powered home. Competition categories included Architecture, Energy Balance, Affordability, Engineering, and Market Appeal.

Though quite a few of the competition days were solar-challenged, the demonstration homes performed well, and visitors lined up for a chance to inspect the innovative design and construction inside and out.
   

 

 The Under The Hood - Drive Change Today activity cart was very popular with the energy-efficiency-minded Solar Decathlon visitors.  The activities in the cart are designed to provide a hands-on introduction to principles of energy use, by-products of energy consumption, and conservation. 

Mixing  vinegar and baking soda provides an immediate Carbon Dioxide reaction...

 

 

 

 

 ...while yeast and water take longer to work together to create the same effect.

 

 

 

 

The aerodynamic properties of cars of different shapes and sizes were compared on test tracks. With hair dryers creating wind resistance, it was clear that boxy designs and luggage racks can drastically reduce energy efficiency.





A favorite activity was the battery circuit station, where the challenge was to complete an energy circuit utilizing a battery, wires and tape, in order to light a small bulb.  The more batteries, the brighter the light, until the tiny lights blow from the energy supplied by about 6 to 7 D batteries.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

The principles how of interlocking gears work to control speed and direction of movement were explored by many visitors to the booth as well.

At the NC Museum of Life and Science in Durham, a week of Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE education events and activities were held in the museum's hands-on investigation lab space.  

   Museum visitors learned that under-inflated tires and dirty air filters are two enemies of energy efficiency.

 

 

 

Visitors used a high-magnification camera and display screen to compare clean and dirty filters and learned how a dirty air filter slows the intake of air needed for efficient burning of fuel. 

 

  The challenge of designing and constructing paper  luggage racks and testing their effect on a car's aerodynamics was also a popular activity using the museum's high tech spring loaded tester track.

 

The Origins of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE -- And Its Impact

This is a guest posting by Felix Kramer, Founder of the California Cars Initiative (CalCars.org)

Five years ago, when the Automotive X Prize was just an idea, gas prices were seesawing, and people were fed up with paying a billion dollars a day for foreign oil.  We're still addicted to oil -- but thanks in large part to the X Prize, we can see a way out.

Back then, the famed Hypercar spinoff from Rocky Mountain Institute had previewed a future of lightweight, aerodynamic, safe autos. And everyone who'd looked at ways to reduce greenhouse gases knew the answer had to include getting our vehicles off fossil fuels. It was time for cars to take a quantum leap.

Meanwhile, promising cars like the GM EV1 and Toyota RAV4 EV were history. But the death of the electric car turned out to be just the end of one chapter. In 2004, CalCars.org showed how to convert hybrids to plug in, plastering five-foot wide signs proclaiming "100+MPG" on the sides of our Prius retrofits. And Tesla raised money to build a sexy sportscar that would beat almost anything on the road. We could see a future of optimized vehicles running on cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity.

The Automotive X Prize launched in 2006-07 with ambitions to inspire the public and spark innovation to change the auto industry. Getting the competition right wasn't easy for its dedicated, creative staff:

• When "100 MPG" came up against vehicles powered by different fuels, experts developed "MPGe" for apples-to-apples comparisons of electricity with petroleum and renewable biofuels.
• Faced with public expectations for glitzy track races, planners who knew drivers most need a fuel-miser for 25-mile-a-day commutes worked out new tests. They enlisted the U.S. Department of Energy's National Labs to validate the performance of innovative solutions.
• With hopes that some great idea would emerge from a quirky corner, they split the Prize into mainstream and alternative paths.
• And, knowing that imaginative, unique solutions also had to find their ways to millions of drivers, they made competitors show their designs could be safe, affordably mass-produced, and sold for a profit.

As we reach the end of this historic competition, we all wonder who will win. But it's never been more true that "the journey is the reward." Competitors that didn't make it all the way have gained significant visibility, investments, and partnerships. Some may become successful manufacturers. Others will see their teams, intellectual property, and visions acquired by larger companies. Many will celebrate their victories.

And the Prize's impact extends far beyond the competition. X Prize raising the MPG bar certainly encouraged Congress to increase fuel efficiency standards. As we debate what new car stickers should say about efficiency and emissions, a new coalition is urging a goal of 60 MPG by 2025. The DOE has funded development of an advanced U.S. battery industry and lent carmakers billions to retool for green automotive jobs. States and companies have added their incentive programs to the federal $7,500 tax credits for new plug-in cars. Engineering students have been inspired to find jobs in a reviving auto industry. High schoolers have seen how cars can be cool and clean.

And automakers? They've been watching closely and making industry-changing decisions. In 2006, I became the world's first consumer owner of a plug-in hybrid. Now, before the end of this X Prize year, my family hopes to replace that PHEV conversion with a Chevy Volt that we can drive everywhere. And we'll trade our reliable Toyota Camry Hybrid for a Nissan LEAF's daily drives with no gasoline. The cars are coming: the U.S. is on track for a million mass-produced plug-in cars by 2015!

What's next? How about a follow-on prize? As the high-MPG cars arrive, it's clear it will take decades before they'll make up a large enough fraction of our country's 250 million vehicles to have much impact on fossil fuel use. Visionaries like Andy Grove are urging us to retrofit tens of millions of pickup trucks, SUVs, vans, and buses. Like the Home Star building retrofits we're now accelerating, national gas guzzler conversions could create green jobs in communities everywhere. So CalCars hopes for a Drive Star competition -- from X Prize, DOE, or another sponsor -- to spark "The Big Fix," creating a global industry to upgrade many of the world's 900 million vehicles.

X Prize began with the Ansari X Prize for space flight. As the X Prize Foundation broadens, with prizes in genomics, lunar exploration, and ocean oil cleanup, it's never been clearer that humanity and our planet face immense challenges. We used to say "the sky's the limit." Now that we recognize we need to save that one sky ASAP, we look to future competitions for inspiration, ideas, and a global rescue.

The Competition Isn’t Over Yet: Why Validation Matters

With the on-track stages behind us and the results of those on-track stages prominently available on the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE website, one might think the winners of this $10M competition are a foregone conclusion. Well, here are a few reasons why you should think again. 

The winners must pass the Validation Stage, during which they must achieve an efficiency result on the dynamometer high enough to ensure that, when averaged 50/50 with the on-track results, it equals 100 MPGe or better. A dynamometer, or "dyno" for short, is a device that allows engineers to test a vehicle by simulating the loads associated with driving without actually moving (basically, a treadmill for cars - think of the recent Lexus super car commercial that revs its engine until it shatters a wine glass).

Though two teams advancing to Validation are alone in their respective classes, Edison2 (Mainstream Class) and X-Tracer (Alternative Tandem Class), they each must still meet some very difficult requirements on the chassis dynamometer. If you recall, competition officials ruled that Edison2 was not at fault for the incidents at Coast Down that damaged the engines of both of their Mainstream Class entries. Consequently, officials granted Edison2 a waiver from Validation testing at Argonne National Lab as the cost and timetable for repair and calibration of the engines was not feasible. However, because Roush had conducted dynamometer testing on the Edison2 vehicles that were fielded at Knockout and Finals, officials have agreed to review these third party results to determine whether they can be accepted in lieu of testing at Argonne. Tune in to the Award Ceremony on September 16 to learn how the officials ultimately ruled.

That leaves the Alternative Class. To verify the on-track results from Michigan International Speedway, vehicles must repeat efficiency, range, and emissions testing – not an easy feat on the dyno where vehicles can’t benefit from air cooling at speed. In addition, they must survive an entirely new test for gradeability, also known as a simulated hill climb. To do so, they must maintain a minimum 55 mph speed on a simulated 4 percent grade (incline) continuously for 15 minutes. They must also surmount fuel economy, range, and greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions tests.

All vehicles must meet strict EPA emissions standards and achieve an on-road life cycle greenhouse gas emissions level of 200 equivalent grams of CO₂ per mile or less. This is also known as a wells-to-wheels (WTW) calculation that accounts for the upstream pollution associated with extraction, transportation, storage, and distribution of the energy that drives the wheels. Vehicles that don’t achieve these requirements during Validation Testing will not be eligible for the Grand Prize. 

For the five teams in the Alternative Side-by-Side Class, placement was determined by the Combined Performance & Efficiency Test, the last event conducted at the Finals Stage. Given that Team Li-ion achieved 171.4 MPGe in on-track testing, they do not appear to be in danger of falling short of the fuel economy mark. However, should they fail any component of testing on the dyno, including the simulated hill climb, they would fail to pass the Validation Stage. In that event, eligibility for the prize would fall to the next team in the placement order, in this case RaceAbout.

Validation Stage testing is no slam dunk. Teams must not only pass these very strenuous challenges, they must achieve 100 MPGe or better when averaged 50/50 with on-track results to claim the prize.

The bottom line: No one will know for sure until the winners are revealed at the final Award Ceremony on September 16^th. So stay tuned!

Consumers Union Partnership Provides Many Benefits to Teams

A key tenet of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE is that the competition must be fair and unbiased.  It is for this, among many, reasons that we feel so fortunate to benefit from a partnership between the X PRIZE Foundation and Consumers Union. This partnership was created with the goals of providing non-biased review of competition vehicles and on a shared common interest to ensure that there is well-informed input for policy discussions about safety regulations for advanced vehicle technologies.

Consumers Union is a non-profit testing and reporting organization and the publisher of Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org.  The deep respect that they have from both business and consumers is well-earned, as they remain independent of any influence from advertising dollars, sponsorships or other financial incentives.  Their operations are supported solely by the sale of magazine and website subscriptions and donations. Every vehicle that they review is secretly purchased from a dealer and then driven and rigorously evaluated by the Consumer Reports vehicle testers.  This ability to remain independent allows them to supply unimpeded information and to provide a form of private regulation on behalf of the consumer.  It also strikes fear in the heart of many an auto manufacturer because a Consumer Reports review can make or break a vehicle.

When you meet David Champion, Senior Director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Division, he hardly seems the intimidating type. What you do catch immediately is that he loves cars and that he takes his work very seriously.  Consumer Reports is serving as the Official Active Safety Testing Partner for the competition, and Champion is leading their staff in executing test track events.  These events, including 0-60, Avoidance Maneuvering, and 60-0 are performed in accordance with procedures developed by Consumer Reports.

Each of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE Qualified Teams must pass these road tests in order to move on in the competition.  Shakedown provided teams with an opportunity to run through these tests, which are graded on a pass or fail basis.  Many teams did very well on some or all of the tests.  Though several teams did not successfully accomplish all of the tests during Shakedown, they will not repeat the tests in order to qualify to move on in the competition.  A new series of these tests will be run during Knockout, all of which are repeats of the Shakedown tests, plus a few additional tests will be added.

Another advantage to the partnership is that ConsumerReports.org is providing readers with an inside look at the competition.  Editorial staff members Jeff Bartlett and Eric Evarts were on the ground during Shakedown talking with teams, shooting photos and video, and reporting on the weeks' activities.  They created some compelling content about the track events and the teams including behind-the-scenes stories that capture the highs and lows that such a challenging competition can create.  Be sure to check out the ConsumerReports.org Automotive X PRIZE web pages for on-going coverage of the competition.

Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Responds to HP2g Claims

HP2g put out a release last night claiming withdrawal from the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE as well as making some unsubstantiated allegations. I’d like an opportunity to set the record straight:

 

As you recall, HP2g was one of over 120 teams that entered the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE non-binding Letter of Intent program. While Mr. Pelmear states in his release that HP2G voluntarily withdrew from the competition, HP2g actually did not complete the full Registration Application prior to the deadline and was therefore rejected as a Registered Team.

 

Mr. Pelmear claims in his statement that an LOI contender “was allowed to be part of the competition rule setting and ultimate team evaluation process” (italics added for emphasis). As for the former, X PRIZE deliberately sought feedback from a variety of sources in an effort to construct a fair competition incorporating the best industry insight from a wide range of automotive experts. It is true that all teams in fact had the opportunity to provide input... We recorded over 2,000 comments, held a webinar with the LOI Contenders, and reviewed and considered input from every LOI Contender that took the time to contact us. We also held multiple working groups with industry experts to establish the competition guidelines.

 

With regard to the latter accusation levied by Mr. Pelmear, at no point were teams were involved in decisions about rules and procedures. It is very important to note that none of the teams are part of the judging panels for the upcoming Design Judging Phase of the competition nor were any teams part of a competitor evaluation process in the past.  

 

Here are two excerpts from official documents that may prove useful:

From the Letter of Intent itself:

                                                                    

“The Team will receive timely updates on significant competition developments, including the release of draft competition guidelines for public comment.  In addition, while there is no guarantee that the Team’s suggestions will be accepted, the X PRIZE Foundation will provide written responses to all comments and suggestions submitted by the Team in response to the draft competition guidelines.  As well, the Team will have an opportunity to submit additional comments before final competition guidelines are released."

        

From the Competition Guidelines:

 

“We recognize that some contributors may end up competing, or perhaps advising those who compete, but that is an unavoidable result of engaging with so many experts who have real-world knowledge of the automotive industry.  We believe that the Guidelines published here are balanced and credible, and that this would not have been possible without seeking as much feedback as possible from diverse parties, without regard for future possible conflicts.  Had we only sought or accepted input from those unlikely to have a future interest in the competition, the result would have been poor Guidelines.  Our process has been open, and we do not hide our involvement with any party."

                                                                                      

“With the publication of these final Guidelines, we are adopting a strict no-conflict policy.  For example, the Prize Development Advisory Board will be disbanded and we will now appoint a conflict-free Prize Administration Advisory Board."

 

As to his unsubstantiated allegations, I can only say that the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE has consistently run a highly-public and transparent process in accordance with the highest professional standards of conduct as a fair and honest broker. We wish Horsepower Sales well in the development and sale of their technology and we remain focused on our accepted Registered Teams. We wish them all luck as we move forward to the Design Judging phase of the competition.

Progressive Automotive X PRIZE Forum Board Re-Vamp

We are in the final stages of reviewing application and are now beginning to turn our focus to initiatives that can support the pool of registered teams. While the final announcement of accepted teams is still a few weeks away, we are working to launch a few initiatives around this same time. One of these projects includes the re-launch of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE Forum board.

We took down the Forum board a few weeks ago, as it had begun to lose relevancy with our change in focus. More importantly, the application lacked the robust security that we needed to keep spammers from interfering with the dialogue. We will be launching a new board in the coming weeks, and as we formulate topics, we would love to hear from you. What do you want to discuss? What do you want to hear about from the teams? And, teams, what do you want to be able to share or ask for in a public setting?

Our goal is to make the new Forum board a useful (and spam-free) resource that benefits open dialogue amongst the public and our competing teams. We know that there were issues with the last board, so here is your chance to let us know what you believe can be done to make this new board better.