Tata Motors to Compete in Progressive Automotive X PRIZE
15 May 2008
Tata Motors Limited of the United Kingdom has signed an official Letter of Intent to compete in The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. (Earlier post.) Tata joins more than 70 teams from 12 countries and 22 US states who have signed a letter of intent to compete for a share of a $10 million prize purse.
The independent and technology-neutral competition is open to teams from around the world that can design and build production-capable, 100 MPGe (miles per gallon energy equivalent) vehicles that people will want to buy and that meet market needs for price, size, capability, safety and performance in one of two classes: Mainstream and Alternative.
Mainstream vehicles will be required to carry four or more passengers, have four or more wheels, and allow for a 200-mile range. Alternative Class vehicles will be required to carry two or more passengers, have no constraints on the number of wheels, and allow for a 100-mile range.
Jonathan Etherington, Principal Engineer of Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), will lead the Tata Motors team. Under Etherington's direction, the team intends to enter a pure e-drive micro car into the Alternative Class and Dominant Electric Hybrid vehicle into the Mainstream Class.
This X Prize could generate some great new cars that people will really want to drive.
Posted by: John Taylor | 15 May 2008 at 02:47 PM
doesn't the tesla already meet these guidelines?
http://www.teslamotors.com/efficiency/well_to_wheel.php
Posted by: sean | 15 May 2008 at 04:34 PM
tesla doesn't offer a four seater
Posted by: ben | 15 May 2008 at 04:38 PM
Alternative class allows 2 seaters, disregard my last post. It must be the price criterion it doesn't satisfy.
Posted by: | 15 May 2008 at 04:41 PM
Tesla does intend to participate: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/03/progressive-spo.html
Posted by: | 15 May 2008 at 10:37 PM
great news, the more the merrier. the more competitors there are the more likely one (or more) will come up with a winning formula.
Posted by: eric | 16 May 2008 at 02:03 AM
Volkswagen has already won and is building its 1 liter car (235mpg).
Ready for the market by 2010.
Source: Motor Authority
Posted by: Jonas | 16 May 2008 at 07:46 AM
@Jonas,
VW has a car that could compete. But, it would not necessarily win. It would have to meet US safety regulations. It would have to meet T2B5 emissions regulations. And, it would have to beat out other competitors cars in acceleration, handling and market appeal.
Winning the XPrize will not be that trivial.
Posted by: RustyLugNut | 16 May 2008 at 09:55 AM
Telsa not only plans to compete, they had a big hand in writing the rules. In a shocking development, the draft rules basically guaranteed the mainstream winner will be a pure EV with 200 mile range which meets US crash tests, etc. Practical plug-in hybrids, which are dramatically more cost-effective in the real world, have essentially no chance.
Posted by: doggydogworld | 17 May 2008 at 07:55 AM