The organization that promoted private space flight by awarding a $10 million fund to the world’s fist privately-sponsored group to fly into space is all set to find the first road-ready green supercar that will break existing fuel-efficiency records. The X Prize Foundation has already received applications from more than 60 teams from over nine countries to compete in the design competition with $10 million in prize money at stake.
The competition is aiming at creating a car that can do 100 miles to the gallon while being commercially viable at the same time. Qualifiers emerging from the initial rounds of the competition will crisscross the United States in a stage race designed to test the vehicles on speed, the distance they can travel, and terrain- and weather-proofness of the vehicles in the later half of 2009. The winner will receive a $10 million award apart from a sponsor to take the design to the assembly lines.
So far none of the major automobile companies have entered the competition which means that if the X Prize Foundation can successfully create a 100mpg green car, it might prove to be a stiff competition for the manufacturers many whom already have their own electric cars in the works.
Source: ENN
