Carmakers are already charging batteries, tuning engines and inflating tires to get ready for DARPA's Progressive Automotive X Prize contest, which will deliver $10m (£5m) to the winner whose car can exceed 100 miles per gallon. At the New York Auto Show last week, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency unveiled Progressive Casualty Insurance as the sponsor of one of the most interesting auto contests to date.
FuelVapor Technologies of British Columbia developed a three-wheel car called the Alé. It contains an engine that runs off petrol fumes instead of the petrol itself. The company estimates that a 10-gallon tank full of gas can run for 15 hours. Plus, it goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds.
Credit: FuelVapor Technologies
The contest features vehicles of all shapes and sizes -- and at different stages of development. The winning car must have mileage that exceeds 100 mpg (cars not powered by petrol will have to meet its equivalent); meet strict emission standards; compete in two stage races; and be safe, affordable, and desirable. Competitors have signed a letter of intent to compete, not an official application.
The rules and deadlines for the competition have not been finalised. It looks like the winner will be determined in the summer of 2010.
In contrast to the highly polished entries, Kinetic Vehicles from Oregon is using the body of an early '80s Toyota wagon to test its low-weight, low-drag diesel engine that will end up in a two-seater for the competition. The company, which specialises in components for homemade vehicles, has dubbed the wagon the Corrode Warrior.
Credit: Kinetic Vehicles
From Kilborn, Australia, comes the Tilting Vehicle, which is a four-wheel automobile that has the stability of a larger car and the efficiency of a motorbike.
Credit: Tilting Vehicle
The Tango from Commuter Cars is a plug-in, all-electric vehicle that's only 39 inches wide. Commuter Cars believes that taking up less space on the highway will ease congestion. Its goal is for Tango to reach a speed of 120 mph and go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds. Its size makes it easy to park and there is a seat behind the driver.
Credit: Commuter Cars Corp
The Avion Car Company of Washington has been building environmentally friendly cars for the past 20 years using recycled components. It achieved 103.7 mpg on a drive from Mexico to Canada in 1986 -- a time when no one really cared. Recent tests have it hitting 114 mpg with an average speed of 55 mph.
Credit: Avion
From the college ranks comes this car from Cornell University. The team's project will be a Geo Metro that will be modified with a plug-in hybrid electric motor. Here, students are looking for a place to install a battery pack.
There's even a high-school team based out of Philadelphia that plans to compete.
Credit: Cornell
Another veteran of the New York auto show is Zero Pollution Motors' Compressed AirCar. The vehicle has achieved from 96 to 106 mpg in tests over an 850-mile course. It runs on cold air up to 35 mph. Then air is heated by a gas or electric heater to make it expand and give the car a boost.
Credit: Zero Pollution Motors
VentureOne is a three-wheeler that rides like a motorbike, although it is fully enclosed and uses pedals. Like the Tilting Vehicle from Australia, VentureOne hopes to gain efficiency through stability and control.
Credit: VentureOne
The team from Desert Fuel of Arizona consists of eight people who already have full-time jobs outside the automotive field. They are testing their dream of building a vehicle with easily replaceable modular parts -- giving it a life expectancy of 50 years. Their X Prize test car is a Volkswagen Rabbit with an extra AC motor in the spare-tire well.
Credit: Desert Fuel
Loremo, which stands for "Light Resistance Mobile", takes its weight seriously. The company says that by reducing weight and air resistance, the Loremo, which is built in Germany, can reach 117 mpg.
Don't be fooled by the top photograph. The Loremo is a small car that can pack two adults and two children in the rear. For safety, the car has no side doors; the front and rear open up to allow the driver and passengers to enter.
Credit: Loremo
Psycho-Active from Georgia relies on a new rotary propulsion engine called the Gladiator. The frame of the car stores low-pressure air, with high-pressure air in the red tanks. Team leader John Robitaille says, "Integrating pneumatics with our engine is one way we'll increase both efficiency and performance."
Credit: Psycho-Active
Solar cars are also entered in the X Prize Automotive Challenge. The Greenhouse 2000 entry, a three-wheeled, air-conditioned vehicle, is an electric hybrid that can reach 70 mph, according to its Web site.
Credit: Greenhouse 2000
Another sporty-looking car is the Velozzi, an electric car that runs on lithium-ion batteries. But builders say the technology that goes into the car is top secret.
Credit: Velozzi
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