Automotive X-Prize update: shakedown round (track test videos)

[NeilBlanchard]

Here's a bunch of new pictures of the X-Prize:

Flickr: progautoxp's Photostream

[NeilBlanchard]

Is there any info on these guys?


(click on image for link)

[NeilBlanchard]

Is the Tata Motors X-Prize entry an EV?

[NeilBlanchard]

The Illuminati Motor Works web site:

Illuminati Motor Works

Lotsa' pictures and videos there!

[Bicycle Bob]

The Mototracer team is feeling pretty happy:



Friends of the MonoTracer!

As some of you might already know, the X Tracer Team Switzerland is currently competing in the world's toughest competition for high efficient vehicles, the 10-million-$-X-Prize. For details on the Prize, go to: Welcome | Progressive Automotive X PRIZE

We completed the first part of the competition, called Shakedown Phase, which took place at Michigan International Speedway near Detroit, USA, from 2nd to 8th of May successfully with both E-Tracer's (here appropriately called X-Tracer's...) going smoothly through to the next step. That will be Knockout Event from 20th to 30th of June, where only the best 15 teams will survive, from 111 teams that entered the X-Prize one year ago. We will surely be among them.

What gives us that kind of confidence, then? Well, in terms of efficiency, there is nobody in sight that could beat us, and that by far. We are regularly achieving 200 up to 300 miles per gallon equivalent (0,7 to 1,0 Liter of gasoline in form of electricity per 100 kilometers) while more or less the whole rest of the competition is struggling badly to even get to the minimum target of 100 mpge. Even some of the electric vehicles have trouble, because this is not measured at some stupid EU or US manufacturer-friendly slow cycle like the absurd NEFZ (neuer europäischer Fahrzyklus at about 35 km/h average) but at real world speeds of over 50 mph/80 km/h average.

When it gets to outright speed, there is no real match for our performance, either. We lapped all of the vehicles at least twice during the 20-lap/60 km durability run, including a certain Mr Al Unser jr, twice Indy 500 winner, driving the ZAP Alias. Now Felix has something to bragg about and tell his grandchildren...and during all of that lapping, my AC-Propulsion on-board-display always showed around 109 Wh/kilometer, and that is 220 mpge.

So it's really down to us not to make any mistakes, the two E-Tracer's holding together and no "political" or even "nationalistic" hanky-panky within the X-Prize jury taking place. I do however trust that a mostly philantrophically fueled non-profit foundation will not want to risk it's good name and give in to some protests that may or may not arise when it gets down and dirty to the final 2,5 million US$ purse for our "Tandem division in Alternative Class". What else then a E-Tracer is truly alternative, anyway? Can a narrow car, no matter who is making PR for them, be alternative if they need 1000 lbs of batteries in the floor to prevent it from falling over in corners? Stick with that coffee, George...:-)

There were other teams, however, that made a big impression on us. Like our garage neighbors from North Carolina, the green EVII. A nice vehicle run by a bunch of great guys. Or the much laughed at foam car from Spiro in Thailand. But given the fact that the little threewheeler could be produced for less than 1000 US$, it suddenly makes a lot more sense. 100'000's of people in Asia and India get killed every year riding a motorcycle. And that can't be solved with E-Tracers or Nano Tata's, either. But with that little foam tub. One of my favorites, and i'm sorry i did them wrong in the forefront of the competition.

One of the reasons i think that we might actually make it to the class win is the fact that the press made us one of their darlings immediately. we did interviews with Popular Mechanics and video sessions with Discovery Channel and some others, and a gloosy professional shoot with a star fotographer that will appear in several magazines. And of course it all has to do with the appearance, general impression, fit & finish and performance of the E-Tracer's. Sometimes, it helps to look good...;-)


I'll get back to you with more news as we march through! our blog will be updated when we get back to the USA on 20th of June...
Blog XPrize

[NeilBlanchard]

109wH/mile is indeed impressive! I am hoping that someone with an efficient electric drive will do very well at the X-Prize. I don't think that the FVT eVaro was on the track during the trial run, so hopefully, they can give the E-Tracer a run for their money. Or maybe Aptera can redeem themselves?

What are the rules for the electrics in the X-Prize? My impression is that they are imposing rules that force electrics to account for grid losses, etc. Diesels are deducted for the higher thermal energy vs gasoline, but as far as I can tell, gasoline doesn't have to account for any of the energy used to produce it?

I think I can understand the diesel/gasoline equation, and I *hope* they just use a similar equation for the electrics; converting the wattHours consumed to an MPGe using a BTU/energy use straight simple conversion.

IF they also account for grid losses, and do not also use an equivalent loss calculation for gasoline -- then I call foul!

[dcb]

hmm, I don't know how solid the rules are, but they seem to be saying different here:
Progressive Automotive X PRIZE: Is Electricity a Fuel or Just an Energy Carrier?

I was thinking that electricity is "not" a fuel per-se, and was wondering about the "well-to-wheels" comparison, but they make a wonderful simplification: Ultimately, EVERYTHING is solar powered, and has to go through various conversions to get to your vehicle (eons of heat and pressure? nuclear?) . So well to wheels seems fairly arbitrary from that perspective. Consumers understand pump/wall usage so MPGe is allegedly based on that.

Is there a more current link to the "rules"?

[Rokeby]

The MonoTracer is very cool, and a bit pricey at $82K+...

Maybe it's the moon roof/traffic light viewing port.



But as a two-seater, at least there is room for groceries.

[NeilBlanchard]

This is the key paragraph, I think:

For one thing, consumers understand pump-to-wheels measures – nobody does a wells-to-wheels calculation when they refuel. For another – from a technical viewpoint – we wanted to have an unambiguous, soundly-based, figure-of-merit that depends only on things the vehicle designer can control. This is because a main focus of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE is to stimulate innovation in vehicles, and vehicle designers have little control over wells-to-pump efficiencies. Furthermore, upstream fuel efficiencies are ambiguous as they involve controversial and changing-in-time assumptions and predictions on which proponents of different fuels rarely agree. So, a wells-to-wheels definition of MPGe would result in arguable estimates rather than objective measured values.

Okay, I am much happier now! And the E-Tracer (and hopefully the Aptera and the FVT eVaro, and the Tata and the Illuminati (and any other electrics/hybrids) are judged on the "pure BTU" comparisons to gasoline. Diesel has to account for it's "extra" BTU's, too.

[NeilBlanchard]

An article I had not seen before:

Inspection Day for Progressive Automotive X Prize Contenders - Popularmechanics.com