Progressive Automotive X-Prize [Final] Round

[NeilBlanchard]

Here's a picture of the steam injection system in the Enginer Prius:


The water reservoir is the windshield washer on the right side. The pump is on the front left side, and the injection rail is center front.

The battery cells are in the spare tire bay as well.

[MetroMPG]

Neil, thanks for bringing us along with your first hand account.

[RobertSmalls]

The Spira is a really neat car. It weighs 302lbs, seats two in tandem, and is made of foam, fiberglass, and aluminium. The drag coefficient looks a little high among x-prize cars, but it's got a small frontal area. Still, imagine what it could do with a boat-tail.

I think this is what BicycleBob was talking about when he said that a car should weigh no more than its passengers, and that if you design it like a bicycle helmet that envelops the driver, it should be reasonably safe.

[NeilBlanchard]

I've uploaded more pictures today!

Progressive Automotive X-Prize Knockout Round pictures by NeilBlanchard - Photobucket

[rbrowning]

Neil,
Any word on why the FVT is eliminated? The web sight doesn't say anything except that the last posting was on emissions testing day.

Rick

[gone-ot]

...looks like excellent "Duck Racing" weather.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi Rick,

Apparently, they "failed to complete" the emissions test; not that they failed by too high emissions.

[NeilBlanchard]

From an email from FVT:

First, let me apologize for the delay in getting this information out. The past few days have been a bit tough so it has taken a while to put pen to paper. For many this news will come as a disappointment but for FVT elimination was always a potential reality. Of course that doesn't change the fact that we are a bit bummed out!

Because FVT developed so many technologies from scratch, having just one of those components fail during the competition was always a distinct possibility. Sending the eVaro out on the track required about 50 "little miracles" all to fly in formation at the same time... and when they did the results were spectacular. Watching the eVaro race around Michigan International Speedway at 60 mph silently and averaging way over our previous best of 165mpge was confirmation that this technology works and that it truly will change the automotive world. Unfortunately, because FVT's technologies have not had years of testing to work out the kinks, one small hiccup caught us off-guard and knocked us out.

The X Prize competition came to an end for FVT during the emissions test late Monday evening. It was FVT's custom gas generator (range extender) that gave us trouble and unfortunately there was no quick solution. We submitted an appeal but we were informed Tuesday morning that it was denied. How ironic that an electric car gets eliminated because of emissions! Every team in the race were acutely aware that if even one small part failed on their car the race could potentially end for them. So in a strange twist of fate one of the most efficient vehicles in the race would be eliminated for failing emissions.

The kicker was that although FVT submitted the original plan (which included a gas range extender) to the X Prize more than a year ago, the eVaro had become so efficient that it no longer needed the range extender to compete. Unfortunately X Prize rules did not allow changes part way through so without passing emissions we could not continue on.

We understand the judge's decision and have high respect and admiration for the X Prize crew that ran the competition. The X Prize allowed us to meet devoted, passionate, talented teams from all over the world who shared our commitment for improving the automobile and the environment. It was a once in a lifetime experience we will never forget and we wish all those continuing on the very best of luck.

The eVaro performed well the first week and FVT was very pleased to find out that (excluding penalties) we were the 3rd highest mpge of all the vehicles in the competition - ahead of heavily funded Aptera and behind the very talented Li-ion Motors and an enclosed motorcycle design from Switzerland called X-Tracer. With FVT's small team and limited budget this was a remarkable achievement. Even more remarkable was that we were the only team in to create a complete drive train from the ground up. With teams sourcing commercial drive systems from all over the world this is a testament to FVT's ability to design and build advanced drive systems.

The X Prize was never the destination for FVT- it was only a stop on the journey towards creating new technologies, a new kind of car and a new kind of car company. It was a way for FVT to get a message out that electric cars not only work, but that they are viable today and we are one of the best in the world at making them work.

This is a bold statement, but we have now had a chance to see cars and technologies from around the world in a competition of the best-of-the-best. More than ever before we are confident that FVT has the technology, capability, and tenacity to compete with any and all who enter this market - and apparently we are not the only ones who believe this.

While in Michigan we were approached by a major automotive manufacturer to discuss production of the eVaro. Although talks are very preliminary, this is exactly what FVT has been trying to achieve through the X Prize. FVT's design and intimate understanding of electric vehicles matched with a specialist in automotive mass production would be a powerful combination. We will keep you posted as talks continue.

The road ahead is going to be very, very exciting.

Sincerely,

Todd and the FVT boys

[NeilBlanchard]

From Illuminati Motors blog:

It’s been 2 years and 10 months to the day since the members of Illuminati Motor Works threw their collective hats into the international competition known as The Progressive Automotive XPRIZE, a competition to build the worlds first 100 MPGe consumer viable vehicle. On Monday June 28th at approximately 6pm, our Battery Electric vehicle, Seven, experienced mechanical failures while trying to complete the 0-60 acceleration event, our shift linkage broke, leaving us stuck in a single gear, third, and we…I burnt up the clutch while trying with all my heart, and everything that Seven still had left in her, to accomplish the task laid before us. As I took my final run down the track at Michigan International Speedway, the high-pitched whirring sound from the transmission, the lackluster feel of the acceleration, but mostly the look on the faces of all the teams and judges that had gathered to cheer us on told me all I needed to know long before the final words were sent down, “I’m sorry, you didn’t make it.” I’d failed.

And so today, for the first time in 1033 days, we are home. After endless nights and weekends, lost vacation days, lost sleep, and lost time with my wife, I am now lost. Or am I?. “What now?” was one of the first questions I was asked by another team member after our final run, and at that time I didn’t have an answer, but now I do. I’ve never known an XPRIZE not to be awarded, and with only one team left in the mainstream class I’m not sure if all the criteria will be met this time around. So my answer to, “What now?” is fix what broke, improve on our already record-breaking efficiencies for a full size car, for all the stats see the X PRIZE web site and download the PDF with the tallied data, and be ready with a fully armed and operational Death Star….I mean Seven for the next round. How am I so sure that the X PRIZE will continue the event if there is no definitive winner this time around? Simple, the X PRIZE exists to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity thereby inspiring the formation of new industries jobs and the revitalization of markets that are currently stuck. The answer is right there in their mission statement; they do not give up and neither do we.

See You Soon!

Kevin Smith

AUDERE EST FACERE

[NeilBlanchard]

From Oliver Kuttner on Facebook:

WE DESIGNED TO A VERY NARROW SET OF SPECIFFICATIONS. The production car will trade a few years of improvement for some give in efficiency and will end around the same number after adding some "must have" items. Our first run was a close call. We made the show on the first car by 0.015 seconds ... in the 0-60 run. It... was too close for comfort.

We learned a hard lesson today that almost cost us 5 million dollars. When you make a real leap everything you normally assume to be true may be wrong: We were pleased to see that we were in the first session. Cool air means more power. We kept the engines cool and went to do our thing. Now the requirement was 0-60 in less than 15 seconds.

It sounds slow but when you are in 100 mpg tune there is just no fuel... Uncomfortably I remembered when my last competitor yesterday saw his chances fade away with the 10th run being one of his best missing the target by over 5 seconds... I felt for Kevin [Smith of Illuminati] and was nervous. (the alt cars can take 18 seconds). We had done the run before at shakedown and passed with 14.2 and 14.6 seconds. The upgraded engines were freshly tuned and went from 83.3 MPG to over 100 mpg and they now met full emissions... There was a new part, a catalyst of different size...

I was nervous but thought it would be ok.

The first run was a 18 and the second only slightly better. worse still the second car did no better...There was a strong headwind but I did not think it was enough? What was wrong? We chose to do no more runs because we needed to find a strategy and we only had 10 attempts...

I felt like Kevin [Smith of Illuminati] and saw the 5 million go away, a very sinking feeling in deed. The whole team was solemn. After a while we picked ourselves up and decided to postpone to the second (and final) session with the 0-60 and to concentrate on the rest. We nailed the skidpad. Pirro did it on the 1st try after recon and Brad distinctly owned it on the first try. On try 4 Pirro set the fastest time of any x prize car.

On to the skidpad. This time we decided to do one for the fans and Amy from the film crew mounted a camera. We ran extra laps to help get the footage. The VLC was impressive and the peak G load was 1.46 and we ran an average of 1.18. That is very solid speed for a street tire car... It takes power to go round and around. Brad showed up and also set a 14.x second skidpad (18 is the target). Pirro went off and tried another 0-60 in the parking lot and strangely he did a 14.5. We figured it out. When an engine becomes so efficient it can not bring heat and power. The heat lets you open the cat[alytic converter] and build boost... In the afternoon in hotter weather we nailed the accels in the first try each but it was really close.

Here it was a combination of luck and a good team. It is just another world when you get to running a car on next to nothing.