X-Prize reduces contestants for $ 10 million

The organizer of a $10 million contest to develop next-generation green vehicles said Monday it narrowed down its list of competitors by half, with qualifying teams ranging from Indian car giant Tata Motors to a team of Cornell University engineering students.

The Progressive Automotive X Prize said it has trimmed its pool of contestants to 43 teams from 10 countries who passed a vehicle design phase. The Automotive X Prize will award $10 million to teams that develop viable, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 miles per gallon or the equivalent efficiency. Its organizer, the X Prize Foundation, is best known for the Ansari X Prize, which led to the first manned private spaceflight in 2004 and is also sponsoring contests in genomics, health care and a moon landing.

They also organized a contest for a hybrid supercar, though we do not have any information on what that lead to.

The remaining teams in the Automotive X Prize, several of which gathered at the Classic Car Club in downtown Manhattan Monday, are submitting a range of vehicles powered by different fuel types. Tata’s entry is a battery-powered electric vehicle. The team of Cornell students entered a hybrid diesel-electric race car, while other teams submitted vehicles powered by biofuels, gasoline and other fuels.

Here are Peter Diamandis’, X Prize CEO, words:

“The teams and vehicles represented in this group are the most viable in our competition and we believe that together they are positioned to make a huge impact on the automotive marketplace”

Of note is also that the prize will be split in two. So one team can get max of $5 million, unless one sole team wins both sections. Not too likely, is it? The two sections are mainsteam and alternative cars. Mainstream must have seats for four and usual comforts as well as four wheels (that may seem obvious for some cars don’t), while alternative cars can pretty much be anything as long as they meet the Green requirements.