The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize competition is now complete, and the winners were announced yesterday in Washington D.C.. The $10 million in prize money was awarded to three teams as follows:
- Edison2 - $5 million in the Mainstream Class
- Li-ion Motors - $2.5 million in the Alternative Side-by-Side Class
- X – Tracer - $2.5 million in the Alternative Tandem Class
At the start of the year, 43 teams entered this international competition, ranging from a young group of high school students, to teams of experienced automotive engineers and business people. The event took to the track at Michigan International Speedway in the spring, to commence the shakedown stage, which was followed over the summer by the knockout stages and the finals stages, before moving to Illinois for the validation stage. Throughout each stage, teams had to pass a series of tests for safety, emissions, and performance, while meeting 100+ mpg equivalent fuel economy. Sensors was pleased to have been a part of this exciting event throughout the year, helping teams collect and understand their on-road emissions data.
And while the top three teams take the Prize, everyone comes out a winner. From the experience both gained and shared by the high school students at West Philly, to the shared ideas from some of the top entrepreneurial minds of today, to an emerging class of super-efficient vehicles, everyone can take something from the Progressive Automotive X Prize. Congratulations to all of the teams for their hard work and inspiring ideas, and to Progressive Insurance and to the X Prize Foundation for creating the opportunity and incentive to bring these ideas forward.
