Consumers Union to Partner with X Prize Foundation
18 February 2009
Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org, and the X PRIZE Foundation are partnering on automotive safety testing, advocacy and education efforts specifically related to the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, the multi-million dollar competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, safe and super fuel-efficient vehicles.
Consumer Reports will serve as the Official Active Safety Testing Partner for the competition. Among other requirements, competition vehicles must pass a variety of pre-race safety inspections and active safety performance tests. These tests will be conducted with advice and help from Consumer Reports, and certain tests will be performed in accordance with procedures developed by Consumer Reports. Examples include single and multiple braking tests, low-speed stability tests and emergency double-lane change maneuvers.
Consumer Reports will bring a critical perspective on vehicle safety, features, and technology to the competition. David Champion, Senior Director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Division, will also join the Prize Administration Board of the competition. The two organizations are exploring other ways to further accelerate consumer education and advocacy efforts, specifically on such topics as alternative fuels and fuel efficiency.
In future testing of plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles, Consumer Reports is planning to report MPGe (miles per gallon energy equivalent) as one of several measures that will help consumers understand and compare vehicle efficiency.
We feel there are two major flaws in the X-prize rules, and each is decreasing the number of competitors. 1) winner takes all prize money, which decreases the possibility of players recouping their expenses, and 2) the winner being decided as the car that has the most speed and acceleration while just exceeding the 100 mpge barrier. We would have preferred having four or five top prize monies awarded, and selecting the winner(s) based on highest mpge among the vehicles that had met the safety and handling requirements.
Posted by: citizen | 18 February 2009 at 10:55 AM