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Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard
Right - Edison2 was a totally different animal. 250cc turbo single cylinder rear wheel drive, seats 4 people, super low aero drag - VERY different designs.
Edison could not have been a money grab - they built 10 prototypes before the X-Prize, and they brought 4 cars. They spent FAR more money than the prize money. They were always a genuine effort to build a 100+ MPG car.
They won the "main" prize of $5 Million. They probably spend $15 Million, or more. They also built an electric version after the X-Prize, and they continued to develop the design, took it to the GM wind tunnel, and started building the production intent prototype. They continued for about 4 years after the X-Prize.
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I formed my opinion based on the owner himself saying "this was a one-time shot at making money". Skip to 5:17 to hear him say this.
Perhaps he had been developing the car independently of the X-prize, but saw an opportunity to make easy money with a project he was already working on.
The rules weren't sufficient to accomplish the results they were looking for, which was to promote advanced technologies. Instead the Edison leveraged no new technology, but merely applied what we already know about traveling efficiently; reduce weight and reduce aerodynamic drag.
There is nothing proprietary about their drivetrain, as it uses an existing parts.
The only thing proprietary is the shape of the vehicle, which is unsuitable for actual consumer use.
I found the video interesting, but the "technology" boring. It's a way to win a game, not solve an actual problem.