X-Prize winner gets 102 MPG

[Chris]

It may look odd, but the ultralight Edison2 Very Light Car gets 102.5 mpg, it does so with good old-fashioned internal combustion and it’s just won the Progressive Automotive X Prize.

The Very Light Car was among three innovative, if unusual, automobiles that shared the $10 million pot the X Prize promised to whomever built a production-ready vehicle capable of getting 100 mpg or its equivalent. Progressive Automotive X-Prize officials announced the winners today in Washington, D.C., some 30 months after the competition began.

“We’ve seen a shift in the market since we first launched this competition, and a greater awareness by people everywhere to think more seriously about the actions we take, and how they affect our environment,” Peter Diamandis, Chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation, said. “Gas mileage ranks as one of our top concerns when purchasing a new vehicle and I believe strongly that the innovations showcased throughout the life of this competition will continue to impact and improve our car buying options for the future.”

Now that the contest is won, the hard work begins. The winning teams hope to leverage their success to get their vehicles, or at least the technology underpinning them, into showrooms.

Automotive X Prize Winner Gets 102.5 MPG | Autopia | Wired.com

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Somehow I don't see any use for it. It's not fit to haul hay and I doubt it's got a fifth wheel attachment. And upon closer examination, I don't think I'd want to drive the Houston freeways in it.

 

[loosecannon]

I met a guy riding a motorized bicycle recently.

He had pedaled/motored 80 miles south along steep mountainous roads and was getting ready to head home.

He put a dollar's gas in the tank before he left and still had fuel.

 

[uscitizen]

Somehow I don't see any use for it. It's not fit to haul hay and I doubt it's got a fifth wheel attachment. And upon closer examination, I don't think I'd want to drive the Houston freeways in it.

Houston freeways suck in a limo.

 

[loosecannon]

"The car weighs just 830 pounds, and it reportedly is the most aerodynamic vehicle ever tested in General Motors’ wind tunnel."

Read More Automotive X Prize Winner Gets 102.5 MPG | Autopia | Wired.com

I doubt that is true, with 5 profiles to consider in it's resistance rating it seems difficult to believe. Esp considering the aerodynamic efficiencies of modern motorcycles.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Somehow I don't see any use for it. It's not fit to haul hay and I doubt it's got a fifth wheel attachment. And upon closer examination, I don't think I'd want to drive the Houston freeways in it.

Houston freeways suck in a limo.

That's whay I drive a cowboy cadillac.

 

[uscitizen]

Mototcycles are extremely seldom set up for efficiency, but for performance.

Isn't that one of those Rexas Ranger trucks?

 

[Old Rocks]

While 100 mpg is admirable, in the real world, there are vehicles today that get a significant fraction of that already being sold.

2010 Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Diesel - Quick Spin - Car and Driver

With 75 hp available at 4000 rpm, the Polo BlueMotion is no racer, but there are 133 lb-ft of torque on tap at 2000 rpm. Top speed is an ungoverned 107 mph, and VW claims a 0-to-62-mph run of 13.6 seconds. What’s perhaps best, however, is how little money is spent at the pump. In the European cycle, the Polo BlueMotion is rated at a combined 71 mpg. After spending considerable time behind the wheel, we can confirm these numbers are pretty accurate in the real world. A six-speed manual would make the car even more efficient on actual roads, of course, but the five-speed is a better match for the European fuel-economy procedures, which won’t allow shifting past fifth during certain parts of the cycle.

How Does It Stack Up?

If fuel consumption were the decisive criterion, nothing could come close to this VW—including politically correct hybrids such as the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, which are EPA city/highway rated at 40/43 mpg and 51/48 mpg, respectively. Europeans might consider the Polo's larger sister models, the Golf and Passat BlueMotion, both of which are powered by a 104-hp, 1.6-liter turbo-diesel and are rated at a respective combined 62 mpg and 53 mpg in the European cycle. Both can reach a top speed of about 120 mph.

 

[westwall]

I met a guy riding a motorized bicycle recently.

He had pedaled/motored 80 miles south along steep mountainous roads and was getting ready to head home.

He put a dollar's gas in the tank before he left and still had fuel.

So? When I was a younger fool my friends and I rode centuries every week. I rode the Davis Devil once (thats a 200 mile ride with around 14,000 feet of climb on average) and I
rode the Badwater to Whitney Portals ride.

Didn't use a drop of gasoline! Of course you can't carry too much but if you're going to ride a bike don't be a frigging wuss about it, ride the damn bike!