Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced - Jalopnik Comments

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

cosmonot — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:37:18 EDT

@Mad_Science: Easy. Just get the insurance companies to turn it into the only car dumb drivers can afford to insure, and there will be a market for it.

Hit too many people this year? Got too many speeding tickets? Thought you could talk yer way out of a DUI? End up in a ditch once too often? Sorry your insurance premium just doubled, or worse... but you can cover this sweet little ride for pocket change!

Give the idiots something small and lightweight, and they'll just bounce off each other.

cosmonot

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

allenparkpete — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:21:05 EDT

I should start my own blog site. Glad to see you guys caught up.

allenparkpete

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

AdmiralAutobahn — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:19 EDT

@Mad_Science: "but really 100mpg shouldn't be all that hard in a nicely shaped mostly-plastic car with a 1L diesel engine."

You mean like, the VW 1L that gets 200+ mpg already? In that case VW has already won. Because half those cars it looks like FAIL the second requirement. It has to have FOUR wheels.

AdmiralAutobahn

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

ranwhenparked — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:47:37 EDT

@mikedrawcar:

Aptera gets around the problem with their 3 wheels. For most state governments (and the NHTSA), that makes it a motorcycle. You can't exactly expect a bike to pass crash tests, so that gets them out of all the expensive safety requirements.

ranwhenparked

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

stopcrazypp — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:40:06 EDT

People keep forgetting to point out the total (wells-to-wheels) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions expressed as equivalent grams of CO2 per mile: no more than 200 g/mi. Criteria emissions: no worse than US EPA Tier II, bin 5 standards. A simple 1.5l diesel probably won't be able to meet that. A hybrid can probably easily get that no problem though, but the 100mpg is still going to be hard.

Also this:
MAINSTREAM CLASS REQUIREMENTS
Capacity: 4 or more passengers (95th percentile adult male) and 10 cubic feet of useful cargo space
Wheels: 4 or more wheels
Performance: 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 12 seconds, minimum top speed 100 mph, minimum range 200 miles, 60 - 0 MPH braking in no more than 170 feet, lateral acceleration (300-ft-dia skidpad) 0.70 g, 600 ft slalom (Motor Trend) speed 55 MPH, gradeability 55 MPH on a 7.5% grade, noise levels within drive-by standards (74 decibels max)
Features: Heater, air-conditioner, audio system, real-time eco-feedback display5

stopcrazypp

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

jeremyc — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:45:51 EDT

That green air-'car' looks like a PowerWheels. Or this.

jeremyc

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

Mad_Science — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:49:08 EDT

@Andrewpetty: Reading comprehesion, not just for standardized tests anymore:
"The entries must be safe, production capable, and deliver at least 100 mpg."

Although, I'd imagine the X-Prize definition of "production capable" may differ from what a real manufacturing director might have in mind.

Mad_Science

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

BlueRSX — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:19:45 EDT

I'm puttin' my money on the Tango:

[www.progressiveautoxprize.org]

Cuz that's how I roll.

[www.coroflot.com]

BlueRSX

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

mikedrawcar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:54:19 EDT

@Nayrlladnar: it is. It's a kit car body from some Eastern Bloc country. I actually think it's kinda cool too, but some of the details are overworked.

@Spasticteapot: right- that's the whole challenging part- that and the production requirements. There are some builders that will therefore be left out of it (Aptera). It makes it a more valid competition, because the safety/production issues are the main reason we don't have a legit high-mpg car yet.

mikedrawcar

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

Ash78 — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:51:43 EDT

@79TA: Just like that ad agency...what is it...yeah, "Geico"

Ash78

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

Andrewpetty — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:50:51 EDT

@Spasticteapot: Building a safe car that gets 100mpg is probably pretty easy. Building a safe 100mpger that people will buy or be able to buy is the hard part. I noticed there was no category for production feasibility.

Andrewpetty

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

79TA — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:47:43 EDT

Progressive customers can sleep well knowing that their insurance premiums aren't exactly being used to insure their cars.

79TA

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

kleinlowe — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:47:06 EDT

I have to admit I'm in love with the center-steering all-abs French air car. It's a fisher-price toddler car writ large and it looks like you could detail the interior with a garden hose and a ratty towel. Also the white three-wheeler looks like it also serves as one-fifth of a giant lion robot.

kleinlowe

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

Spasticteapot — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:41:13 EDT

Building a car that can do 100MPG is easy. I could probbably do it.

Building a car that's safe AND gets 100mpg - now that's a problem.

Spasticteapot

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

Mad_Science — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:36:56 EDT

@shocker: Note the name emblazoned on lower air dam.

Haven't checked the actual testing conditions, but really 100mpg shouldn't be all that hard in a nicely shaped mostly-plastic car with a 1L diesel engine.

Sure, you're not going to win any races and you're toast if a ladder-frame vehicle hits you...but otherwise you're in good shape.

Mad_Science

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

Nayrlladnar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:34:01 EDT

That hot little maroon number looks a lot like a car I saw on some Science Channel show. It was being worked on by a bunch of inner city magnet school kids. It was neon green though...

Nayrlladnar

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

graverobber- Same great taste, new low price! — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:12:12 EDT

I wanna hear the air-powered car run. I'll bet it sounds like elevendy-million whoopie cushions.

graverobber- Same great taste, new low price!

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

beercheck — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:03:13 EDT

"Progressive X Price". Somehow, that tickles me.

beercheck

Progressive Automotive X Prize Officially Announced

shocker — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:58:14 EDT

The coilovers (?) peaking out of that hot little maroon number's hood is like catching a glimpse of a supermodel's nipple.

No one tell them they're showing, less they hide it!

shocker