Progressive Automotive X PRIZE

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.

Small Groups, Huge Challenge

This is a guest post from Gene Lukianov - Technical Inspector for Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE

While I participated in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize Competition as a technical inspector, I was struck by the enthusiasm and dedication of the teams to the goal of high mileage vehicles and their benefit to the human race and the environment.

The people in these teams came from many walks of life and professions; entrepreneurs, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, nuclear engineers, dreamers, technicians, mechanics, professors, moms and dads, students, nuclear physicists, PhDs, and many more.  All had a clear goal; do their best to build a 100mpge vehicle that would satisfy the requirements of the competition and be able to compete in the events leading up to the finals.  Some chose to modify a production car, some chose to showcase a vehicle that they are intent in manufacturing in the near future or have recently started building, some chose to design and build an experimental vehicle from scratch.

Most were huge optimists; thinking that once the vehicle was designed and built, the vehicle was ready for competition. The design and build effort just got them through the gate into the competition. Then the hard work began to tune the vehicle to meet all the performance requirements and to keep the vehicle running throughout the competition events.

All the teams were small, some consisted of only two or three people, most were of five to ten people and a large team had what seemed to be a few dozen people behind them. With the exception of Tata Motors, no major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) were involved with their expansive knowledge of vehicle engineering, technical skills and extended funding. Maybe the OEMS know something that these teams do not?

So are these teams the dreamers or the realists?  Are they dedicated to an unachievable goal of 100 MPGe for a practical vehicle? Or are they the independent thinkers that will show to established manufacturers that there are ways to significantly alter our energy consumption? Maybe if one starts looking at personal transportation from a different perspective great change can happen.

Is it that these teams have little ‘mental inertia’ that they can dream, conceive, experiment and build something of significance?  Is it that large companies invest too much in doing it the way they have always done it and cannot envision more radical alternative solutions?

However it’s done, we all stand to benefit from more efficient alternatives to the cars we drive today. 

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!

Coast Down Testing at Chrysler’s Proving Grounds Complete: Teams Advance to Validation Stage at Argonne National Lab

With the close of the on-track stages barely 12 hours behind them, teams spent the better portion of Wednesday, July 28^th loading and transporting their vehicles from Michigan International Speedway to Chrysler’s Proving Grounds in Chelsea, a short distance away.  Since then, all vehicles that advanced to the Validation Stage (the last and final hurdle toward the $10 million purse) were put through a Coast Down exercise, which involved test engineers accelerating each vehicle up to approximately 70mph on a 2.25 mile long, level paved roadway and then “coasting” them in neutral until they come to a stop, unassisted by brakes.

The exercise provides a few key metrics that are required for Validation Testing on the chassis dynamometers at Argonne National Lab facilities located just outside Chicago:

· First is aerodynamic resistance, a factor of the vehicle’s shape and footprint that determines how much air the vehicle has to push out of the way as it moves. The more resistance, the more energy has to be expended.

· Second is rolling resistance, a factor of tire design that determines how much energy the vehicle has to use to overcome the resistance caused by the friction between the tires and the road.

· Third is mechanical resistance, a factor of the vehicle’s powertrain and how much energy the vehicle has to use to overcome internal friction to drive the wheels.

Day 1 of Coast Down weather proved less than ideal, so Chrysler test engineers made the best of it by rigging up the vehicles with the needed instrumentation and training Chrysler’s professional drivers to handle the vehicles. Thankfully, the weather on Day 2 proved ideal, and teams RaceAbout Association, Li-Ion Motors, ZAP, and Aptera wrapped up under sunny skies and little wind without incident. All four vehicles were shipped off early the following morning on a hauler to arrive at Argonne National Lab for Validation testing.

Also on the morning of Day 3, Edison2, TW4XP, and X-Tracer hit the proving grounds for their turn through Coast Down. On the straight-away of the test track, Edison2’s Mainstream Class entries, vehicle numbers 97 and 98, were fielded. In both cases, as third party test drivers accelerated the vehicles to speed, a mechanical over-rev condition resulted in engine failures and the tests had to be aborted.

The fact that the Edison2 vehicles employ sequential transmissions may have contributed to the unintended downshift and subsequent mechanical over-rev condition that damaged the engines. In a typical racing configuration, the driver pulls rearword on the shift lever to shift up through the gears. This is opposite the convention used by many US automakers in their semi-automatic transmissions (like Chrysler's AutoStick), where manual upshifting is executed by pushing forward, away from the driver. Further, given that this is a competition vehicle, the automated software that would normally override an unintended downshift at speed or at high RPM is not yet perfected.

Chrysler’s test engineers, working with Oliver Kuttner and Ron Mathis of Edison2, were able to quite literally push their way through this particular setback, however. With the engines of both Edison2 vehicles out of commission, Chrysler, with Kuttner piloting the competition vehicle and Mathis behind the wheel of one of their trucks, put their assist vehicles to work, pushing one of the identical Edison2 vehicles to a speed sufficient to acquire the needed measurements.  

Coast Down data was ultimately obtained for the Edison2 vehicles, and the tests were completed successfully.  Both X-Tracer and TW4XP successfully completed Coast Down as well.

And so the week ended not without incident, but with a bit of determination and resourcefulness. All of the finalist vehicles have safely arrived at Argonne’s facilities for Validation.  Testing began Tuesday, August 3rd, and will continue throughout the month of August.

Since the Edison2 engines require costly repairs due to damage that was no fault of their own, and because the timing of these repairs presents substantial schedule challenges, competition officials have agreed to review objective third-party dynamometer results on Edison2’s vehicles to determine whether the data can be accepted in lieu of Validation Testing at Argonne National Lab. Until this determination is made, Edison2 will be granted a waiver that releases the team from the requirement to present their vehicles at Argonne for Validation Stage testing.

Again, both Edison2 vehicles remain active in the competition, and eligible for the $5 million prize purse.  Visit www.progressiveautoxprize.org to follow the progress of the remaining vehicles and track the competition.

Final Day of Finals -- Teams on the Homestretch for Multi-Million Dollar Prize Purses

The first week of Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE finals brought the competitive field from 15 vehicles at the start of the week to 11 vehicles by the end of the day on Friday 7/23. After a weekend away from the track, the remaining competitors have once again taken the track for the Dynamic Safety tests today. Teams demonstrated that they could meet requirements for 0 - 60mph acceleration, 60 - 0mph braking, and accident avoidance tests. 

Two additional teams have been eliminated (preliminary) from the competition after today's events: Western Washington University and the Edison2 #95 car. The WWU Viking 45 vehicle did not pass the accident avoidance test within the 6 attempt limit (they did complete the course on attempt #9), and the Edison2 #95 car had mechanical troubles that prevented it from completing the day's tests. 

This brings us to the exciting final day of the finals event. Nine vehicles remain: 2 Edison2 vehicles in the mainstream class, 2 X-Tracer vehicles in alternative tandem, and 5 competitors in the alternative side-by-side category (Aptera, Li-ion Motors, RaceAbout, Zap, and TW4XP). Teams will compete in a timed event called the "Combined Efficiency and Performance Test", in which they will travel a minimum of 100 miles for the alternative classes and 200 miles for the mainstream class. Teams may not exceed 70mph, but the total time to complete the course and MPGe will be important factors that will be considered when determining the winning vehicle for each class. Live telemetry and a webcast of the event will take place on Tuesday, 7/27, starting at 8am EDT. Please visit http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/live to tune in for the action, and watch for updates on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr!  

What it Takes to Make it to the Validation Stage

With the release of the results of efficiency testing from Week 1 of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, followers of the competition might be wondering why vehicles that didn't quite reach 100 MPGe on the track are moving on to Week 2 events.

As it turns out, to qualify for their share of the $10 million Grand Prize, teams must average 100 MPGe when their on-track results are combined with results from the lab. Thus, a team whose vehicle didn't quite peg 100 MPGe at the speedway could conceivably make up the difference during Validation Stage testing next month.

Given this, competition officials set the bar at 90 MPGe as the number to beat to progress to the next stage. For example, one of Edison2's entries (#97) came in at 95.6 MPGe and Western Washington University's vehicle (#45) scored 97.2 MPGe on last week's efficiency test. Presuming they pass the remaining tests, both cars will advance to the next stage.

With the on-track elements behind them, the surviving Finalists move on to coast down testing at Chrysler's Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan where each vehicle will be instrumented, accelerated up to 80 mph on a flat level road course, put in neutral (or its equivalent), and quite literally coasted to a stop. Sensors record three key pieces of data: (1) Aerodynamic Resistance, (2) Rolling Resistance, and (3) Mechanical Resistance. Each is a key input to the Validation Stage testing.

Validation Stage testing will be conducted throughout August at Argonne National Lab facilities just outside Chicago. There, on-track performance will be verified on dynamometers and final eligibility for the Grand Prize will be determined. The winners will be announced at a formal awards ceremony in Washington, DC September 16.

Following the Finals of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE

Years of hard work by staff, teams, and volunteers involved with the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE has finally culminated at the Finals Event of the competition. 12 remaining teams are putting their vehicles to the ultimate test this week, meeting minimum efficiency requirements of 100MPGe, minimum range requirements of 100 miles (alternative class) / 200 miles (mainstream class), and required safety standards.

At this point, you're probably thinking, "That sounds cool. So what's the best way to follow the Finals?" Well, here is your quick guide to following the PIAXP events happening over the next several days. 

Come Visit the Michigan International Speedway

Seeing these amazingly fuel-efficient cars in action and speaking to the teams firsthand about their vehicles is a truly unique experience -- and one that the public is invited to take part in on Friday, July 23! If you are in the area, we are pleased to invite you to the Michigan International Speedway so that you can see the Finals event, speak to the teams, and see the cars up close. Here are the details:

• Event is free!
• The Speedway will be open to the public from 10am - 4pm. 
• Use the Brooklyn Highway entrance to the Michigan International Speedway. You will then be directed to the designated parking area.
• Vehicles will be available for viewing, teams will be available for questions. Finals events will be taking place on the track. 

We hope to see you at the track!

Track the PIAXP online -- we're everywhere!

Follow the competition online by visiting the "Live" section of the website, at http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/live. On this page you can:

• View the competition schedule and event details
• View real-time telemetry of cars on the track, including MPGe and track position
• Watch the live webcast and chat with X PRIZE/team members, or cheer on your favorite team
• View recent YouTube videos, Flickr photos, Facebok and Twitter updates

This is sure to be an action-packed week as the competition heats up and the winners of $10 Million in prize purses are determined. We hope that you'll share the excitement with us! 

Walking the Floor at the 2009 LA Auto Show

Today I have the opportunity to walk the floor of the 2009 LA Auto Show as the Press Days kick-off. As always at major auto shows, I feel the continued and increasing relevancy of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE.

The industry continues to show innovation and progress towards increased vehicle efficiency. GM kicked off the morning with an emphasis on efficiency, showing off the Chevy Volt and discussing plans to bring the Volt's first production vehicles for sale in California. In fact, Bob Lutz's morning keynote highlighted a partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to bring 100 Volts to CA in late 2010 for a real-world test fleet (for more info, check out Sebastian Blanco's post on Autoblog Green). In addition, Volkswagen showed off the World Premiere of the Up! Lite, with claims of 70 MPG/highway for the concept vehicle. 

Despite these industry announcements, we still urgently need a new generation of super-efficient, desirable and affordable vehicles to reach the market more quickly than the change we see happening here. When I walk the floor of today's auto show, I'm reflecting often on the vision and amazing accomplishments to date of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Qualified Teams...the work the Teams are doing to prepare their vehicle entries is so important and exciting. I can't wait to see more of our entrant vehicles as the competition events near, and I am sure the competition will knock the socks off of the automotive industry and the general public!

Here are a couple of shots from this morning's announcements:

Chevrolet Volt

 

Volkswagen Up! Lite

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 at The Washington Auto Show

Members of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE were at The Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. last week.

 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Assistant Secretary David E. Rodgers announced the launch of FuelOurFutureNow.com at press event on Tuesday, February 3rd at the Government Technology Theater:

FuelOurFutureNow.com is an online knowledge center created by The DOE, The X PRIZE Foundation, and Discovery Education that is designed to excite K-12 students about energy efficiency. A demo of the website was displayed at the U.S. Government Agencies booth, and web cards were distributed to the general public:

The Green Car Pavilion, hosted by the Green Car Journal, showcased electric, alternative fuel, clean diesel, and advanced technology vehicles. On display was Progressive Automotive X PRIZE Registered Team applicant  Tri-Hybrid:

   

Attendees also had the opportunity to see Progressive Automotive X PRIZE Letter of Intent Contender  HP2g:

   

Be sure to to check out FuelOurFutureNow.com and read the related coverage of the launch, including the announcement in AutoblogGreen.