The new Star Trek flick, directed by J.J. Abrams and slated for an early May release, tells the story of James T. Kirk's youth and education at Star Fleet Academy. Word has it that Kirk and his homies cruise the campus for hot tail in the Aptera, which in the real world will allegedly get 30 mpg. Who needs a dilithium-guzzling shuttlecraft? I wonder if Kirk & Co. will exercise the Prime Directive with the fetching young cadets they cruise... Actually, it doesn't surprise me that the Aptera would wind up on the big screen. It looks as if it was borrowed from the future. The Sci Fi Channel should just go ahead and build a whole show around it. [Livescience]

Automotive X PRIZE to Showcase Innovation at 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit

WHAT/ The Automotive X PRIZE, an international, multi-million dollar competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles, has announced plans to participate in this year's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) during its Press Preview and Industry Days, January 13-18. The independent and technology-neutral Automotive X PRIZE competition is open to teams from around the world who can design, build and bring to market 100 MPG equivalent vehicles that people want to buy, and that meet market needs for price, size, capability, safety and performance.

Once the competition officially launches - in early 2008 - a thorough qualification process will assess safety, cost, features and business plans to ensure that only production-capable, real cars compete. Those who qualify will race their vehicles in rigorous cross-country stage races that combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance. To date, more than 50 teams from seven countries have signed a Letter of Intent—including Tesla, Visionary Vehicles, Aptera, ZAP, Loremo and Cornell University— to compete for a share of the multi-million dollar prize purse and global publicity.

Several teams will join Automotive X PRIZE in their booth at this year's NAIAS. The Automotive X PRIZE stage races are expected to travel through multiple cities from coast to coast in 2009 and 2010. Winning vehicles will be those that finish in the fastest time while achieving at least 100 MPG equivalent fuel economy and strict emissions caps.

WHO: Don Foley, Automotive X PRIZE Executive Director Neal Anderson, Cristin Lindsay and John Shore, Automotive X PRIZE Senior Directors Gale Banks, President, Gale Banks Engineering and Automotive X PRIZE Advisor Letter of Intent Team Members, to be announced shortly. NOTE: A detailed listing of Letter of Intent team members and other show attendees will be released by AXP in the coming weeks.

ABOUT THE AUTOMOTIVE X PRIZE: The Automotive X PRIZE is a project of the X PRIZE Foundation, which creates and manages prizes that drive innovators to solve the world's greatest challenges. The X PRIZE Foundation first captured world headlines in 2004, when Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan and Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world's first private vehicle to space twice in two weeks to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Automotive X PRIZE is being designed with the generous help of world-class experts, advisors and organizations who represent a broad and diverse group of interests and share the organization's concerns and goals. For more detail, see our advisors, supporters, and blog at http://auto.xprize.org.

CONTENDERS To date, more than 50 teams representing 7 countries have signed letters of intent to compete. The list includes established carmakers (Tesla, Visionary Vehicles), universities (Cornell University) Michigan-based contenders (Michigan Vision), entrepreneurs and established engineers. AirShip Technologies Group, Lake Oswego, OR ° Alpha-Core/Poulsen Hybrid, Bridgeport, CT* ° Aptera Motors, Carlsbad California ° Avion Car Company, Bellingham WA ° Brilliant Automotive, Fairfield, IA ° Commuter Cars Corp, Spokane, WA ° Cornell University, Ithaca, NY ° DEHyds, Tenino, WA ° Delta Motorsport, Northamptonshire, UK °

Desert Fuel, Phoenix,AZ ° Disruptech, Newhall, CA ° Team Dragonfly, Northampton, UK ° Electric Truck Inc, Greenwich, CT ° Energy Highway, Pleasanton, CA ° FuelVapor Technologies, Maple Ridge, BC ° GreenIt!, Portland, OR ° HerfDuo, Berlin, Germany ° HyKinesys, Rolling Hills Estate,CA ° ICEwave,

Terre Haute, IN ° Illuminati, Virden, IL ° Kinetic Vehicles, Creswell, OR ° Kuttner Doran Innovations, Charlottesville, VA* ° Loremo, Munich, Germany ° Lydell Industries, Frewsburg, NY ° Maine Automotive X, Camden, ME ° MDI, Inc. and Zero Pollution Motors, LLC, New Paltz, NY* ° Michigan Vision, Ann Arbor, MI * ° Motive Industries, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ° MotoTron Disrupt, Oshkosh, WI ° West Philly Hybrid X Team, Philadelphia PA ° Phoenix Motorcars, Ontario, CA* ° Physics Lab of Lake Havasu, Lake Havasu, AZ* ° Porteon Electric Vehicles, Inc., Portland, OR ° Prometheus Systems, Flagstaff, AZ ° Psycho-Active, Moore, SC* ° RaceAbout Association, Helsinki Finland ° Red Light Racing (RLR), Callaway, MA ° Kernel™-AXP, Beverly Hills CA ° Spirit One, Alberta CA ° T3 Motion, Costa Mesa CA ° Team Global-E, Mandeville, LA ° Tilting Vehicle Australia, Kilburn, Australia* ° TriTrack,Austin, TX ° Team Twike IV, Germany ° Tesla Motors, San Carlos, CA ° Valentin Technologies, Elm Grove, WI* ° Velozzi, Beverly Hills CA* ° Visionary Vehicle, NY, NY* ° X Tracer Team Switzerland, Winterthur, Switzerland ° ZAP, Santa Rosa, CA *teams marked with an asterisk will be available to the media during the Detroit Auto Show.
[Source: X-PRIZE]

300 Miles Per Gallon! Aptera Motors Unveils Ultra Efficient All-Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles for Under $30K 300 Miles Per Gallon! Aptera Motors Unveils Ultra Efficient All-Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles for Under $30KCARLSBAD, Calif.CA-APTERA

Today, Aptera officially unveiled two vehicles that could change the Future of automotive design. Aptera's Typ-1 is a radically different vehicle designed to marry advanced aerodynamics with light-weight composite technology creating an incredibly powerful, yet extremely safe vehicle that is a joy to drive — even for the most performance-minded individuals. The Aptera Typ-1 will be available in all-electric and hybrid models for less than $30,000, the electric version slated for delivery in 2008 with the hybrid model to follow.

The all-electric model has a range of 120 miles. The plug-in series hybrid has achieved more than 300 miles per gallon with a range of more than 600 miles. Both versions are loaded with safety features.

?Unveiling the Aptera Typ-1 represents a pivotal point in automotive history as we mark the transition from research and development to manufacturing the most energy efficient vehicle with a price tag to fit almost any budget,? said Co-Founder & CEO, Steve Fambro.

Through extensive fluid dynamics modeling and materials engineering, the Aptera team has created the most efficient, lowest-drag shape that can surround two occupants side-by-side, and has made safety a priority in the design. Additionally, the car features three wheels, making it eligible for most carpool lanes, even with only one person in the vehicle.

The car has "two plus one" seating offering ample room for driver and passenger while an infant seat (for newborns to age three) can be located in the middle behind them. Storage room is also generous with enough space to fit 15 bags of groceries, two full-size golf club bags or even a couple of seven foot surf boards with the infant seat removed.

The Aptera Typ-1 is loaded with safety features. They include a front crumple zone, a front end that re-directs crash energy in a frontal impact, steel and composite side and rollover protection as well as driver and passenger side airbags.

The Aptera Typ-1 is available in two models:

All Electric - This model is powered exclusively with batteries and will get someone around town for approximately 120 miles depending on driving conditions. At night, simply plug the Aptera into any standard 110-volt outlet, and in just a few hours, the vehicle will be fully charged and ready for another 120 miles.

Plug-In Hybrid - The Aptera hybrid is powered by an electric drive train but is also assisted by a fuel-efficient gasoline-powered generator, which stretches the range considerably. In typical driving, the hybrid Aptera may achieve over 300 miles per gallon, a range far beyond any other passenger vehicle available today.

The Aptera Typ-1 also offers features that typically are not found on any vehicle, much less a hybrid or all-electric model. Solar cells embedded under the roof operate an always-on climate control system, ensuring the interior never gets too hot or too cold. The dashboard display and infotainment system is controlled by an in-vehicle computer, which also controls the ?Eyes Forward? vision system. By replacing the side mirrors with embedded cameras that display a 180-degree rear view in the front of the instrument panel, Eyes Forward gives the driver complete situational awareness without taking their eyes off of the road.

Other standard features include:

* Driver and passenger side airbags
* Energy absorbing and impact deflecting passenger safety cell
* Advanced drive computer with GPS navigation, CD/MP3/DVD player, XM satellite radio
* Large rear view camera and complete vehicle diagnostic system
* LED interior and exterior lighting for maximum energy efficiency
* An RFID (Radio Frequency ID) ? an automatic identification method so a driver never has to pull out their keys to enter or start their Aptera
* USB port for powering a laptop or charging an MP3 player and other mobile devices

Fully refundable reservation deposits of $500 are now being accepted from California residents on the Aptera website (http://www.aptera.com). The company will initially deliver vehicles in Southern California, then in northern California and to other regions nationwide.

Initial response has been tremendous; validating our belief that future-minded consumers want a vehicle that is sleek, safe, eco-conscious and affordable. Through word-of-mouth alone, we?ve already received more than 400 pre-sale deposits,? added Fambro.

Aptera is backed by Idealab and Esenjay Investments with initial financing allocated to building the Typ-1 all-electric and plug-in hybrid prototypes. Aptera is currently raising additional capital to begin manufacturing.

About Aptera

Aptera, Greek for ?Wingless Flight,? delivers on its name with a radically different vehicle designed to marry advanced aerodynamics with light-weight composite technology to create an incredibly powerful, yet extremely safe vehicle that is a joy to drive. The Aptera Typ-1 will be available in all-electric and hybrid models for less than $30,000. The all-electric model has a range of about 120 miles. The plug-in series hybrid has achieved more than 300 miles per gallon with a range of more than 600 miles. Both versions are loaded with safety features. Aptera is backed by Idealab and Esenjay Petroleum and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. www.aptera.com

# Less than $20,000
# 12HP CARB certified Diesel engine
# 25HP DC Motor
# Regenerative breaking control
# Automatic CVT transmission
# 64in front wheel track
# 173in length
# Weight of 850lbs
# 0-60mph in 11s
# 95mph top speed (electronically limited)
# 330 MPG at 65 MPH

Not bad. We'll take the 30 GB one.

330 MPG Concept Vehicle [Gizmodo]

Related:
Stick Your Fossil Fuel, Eh? Canadian Students Build 3,145-mpg Car [internal]