Lightning Hybrid Cars » X Prize

What is MPGe

lightning — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:38:42 +0000

As the figure of merit for fuel economy, the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE is using MPGe (miles per gallon energy equivalent), defined as:

MPGe = (miles driven) / [(total energy of all fuels consumed)/(energy of one gallon of gasoline)])

MPGe is a simple, well-defined measure of overall vehicle efficiency. MPGe is easy to explain, accounts in a neutral manner for any combination of fuels, and reduces to the familiar MPG in the case of gasoline fuel only.

To make it easier to understand (and get some intuition about) MPGe, the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE developed a spreadsheet available here. It includes three simple calculators:

(1) Enter the distance driven and the amounts of all fuels consumed – result is MPGe. The formula for this calculation is the one given above.

(2) For the special case of gasoline-electric PHEVs, enter the gasoline usage (MPG gasoline) and electricity usage (watt-hours per mile) – result is MPGe.

(3) For the case of any plug-in vehicle, enter the charging time and the charging efficiency – result, for three different electric circuit types, is the total energy added to the battery, expressed both as kWh and as (energy-equivalent) gallons of gasoline.

This is a hard time for the automotive industry. But it’s also an exciting time of change and innovation. Consumers will soon have a variety of energy efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle choices as diverse technologies and alternative fuels come to market. This diversity will make it harder to evaluate and compare vehicles, and how best to do so is a difficult question. MPGe is not the entire answer, as it must be presented in the context of driving style, frequency, and distance.

Lightning Hybrids seeking $100,000 cash from City of Loveland

lightning — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:41:51 +0000

Lightning Hybrids will unveil a prototype of a car at the Denver Auto Show that could get 100 miles per gallon by sometime this summer.
Tuesday night, the burgeoning company, Lightning Hybrids, asked the Loveland City Council for some help toward that goal.

It was among three companies seeking help with expansion projects, as well as the retention or creation of jobs for the city. Council discussed the three proposals at its study session and decided to move forward on all three. Council members do not vote at study sessions; official resolutions will come before them at future meetings.

Lightning Hybrids was the sole company asking for a cash incentive.

As the company moves forward not only to produce its cutting-edge hybrid vehicle but enter it in the $10 million X Prize competition, it is seeking as much as $100,000 in assistance.

The incentive will be tied to the creation of new jobs. Under the tentative proposal, the company would get $50,000 up front, and $2,000 for each job created, up to $50,000.

The goal is to create 50 jobs, but for each job not created under 30 jobs, the city could take back $2,000.

“We think we’ve got a great idea (and) we think this is something that is sustainable,” said Tim Reeser, chief sales and marketing officer for Lightning Hybrids.

And the company would like to stay in Loveland. Reeser said it is already scouting locations for a potential future manufacturing site, for when the production of the vehicles is running full speed.

The city has already approved an incentives package for the renovation of the site Lightning Hybrids will move into in the near future, at 319 N. Cleveland Ave.

That incentive is going to the Johnson family, who co-founded Lightning Hybrids and plans to redevelop the building as a mixed-use project with light manufacturing, office and residential uses.

“We make no bones that we’re a Loveland company, and it’s been very strong recognition for the city as well,” Reeser said.

Council members were optimistic yet cautious, given the tumultuous economy and the current difficulty in securing financing.

Councilors said when the resolution on this incentive comes to them for action, they would like to see a rationale for the 30-job threshold for getting some of the city’s money back. They also would like to see some retention measures for the jobs expected to be created.

Currently, jobs have to be created and remain for 12 months. Some councilors would like to see that be longer.
Source: Loveland Reporter-Herald

Hybrid Cars

Official Logo for the Automotive X Prize

lightning — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:49:32 +0000

I have been seeing this logo on several Progressive Automotive X Prize team sites and blogs.

It is the official contender logo, this one coming from the Avion Car Company. These guys go way ‘ back in the day’.

According to the Avion Car Company,

The Avion was developed as a lightweight and aerodynamic and very fuel-efficient sports car. The prototype was completed in 1984 and set the Guinness world record for fuel economy in 1986 at 103.7-mpg average driving from the Mexico border to British Columbia Canada border.

Makes you wonder, where have these guys been? They were getting 103.7 mpg in 1986!
So we know, there is a Official Logo for the Automotive X Prize contenders.

Accept No Imitations, The Real X Prize Autos

lightning — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:55:31 +0000

There is no official X Prize seal yet, the only way to confirm that any one is a official X Prize contender is to check the X Prize website. You can access the registered teams and the list of intent contenders, if they are not listed they are a imitation, a fake. Here is the post from the official X Prize Blog;

Accept No (Progressive Automotive X PRIZE) Imitations
Over the past two years, I have been intrigued to see how many automotive groups use the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE as a validator for their technology. I’m not talking about Letter of Intent Contenders or Registered Teams. I’m referring to teams who we have not even heard of. On more than one occasion, I have had to contact someone who created their own LOI Contender logo and placed it front and center on their website.

Lately, there has been a rash of press about Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competitors who do not exist — at least on our books. Some of these teams have even received funding based on their supposed involvement. The most amusing one showed up this past week. It started out innocently enough.

I noted that someone was selling their 1995 Chrysler LaBaron on eBay using the “X-Prize” name as a selling feature. This group was not involved in the competition in any way, and it seemed from their description that they tried to make the entry goals but couldn’t, so they were selling the vehicle and giving up the idea. Admittedly, their ad was misleading, but who would have thought that it would get picked up by so many bloggers including Wired? The story showed up again this morning and the bidding on the vehicle had already closed.

It’s nice to know that people have such faith in the competition and its competitors. But, because of the respect that is given to our competitors, it is frustrating to have people claim to be involved when they are not. Our competitors work tirelessly on their vehicle technology. They have the courage to step forward and prove to the world that they have created something worth hearing about. That’s just one of the things that the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE is there to do for them.

One day, we’ll have an official Progressive Automotive X PRIZE “Seal of Approval”, until then, check our website for a list of Registered Teams and Letter of Intent Contenders to see who really has a claim to the name.

Aptera the electric car

lightning — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:33:14 +0000

Is it a car or a plane, what about a boat, no its the Aptera, one of the X Prize teams. One thing for sure, this is a car of tomorrow today. With gull-wing doors that open upwards, and a body design that draws inspiration from nature’s creatures that embrace the environment instead of trying to fight it. With a unique three wheel design the Aptera takes a wide, three-point stance that makes the vehicle very stable, yet very agile. This is going to give a hole new meaning to plug and play.

And they have one hell of a web site, check them out Aptera.

Hybrid Cars

Understanding the Progressive Automotive X Prize

lightning — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:08:42 +0000

The rules and format of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE have not been finalized as yet, but we do know the prize purse is 10 million dollars. The entry fee was 5 grand for applications received prior to 1 November, 2008, and $7,500 for applications received later. As of this writing there are 20 teams registered with more than 100 signing letters of intent to compete.
The Competition Guidelines for the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE were released for public review on January 10, 2009, the biggest change; Half of the 10M prize purse will be awarded to the Mainstream Class, the balance will be split between the Alternative Class, one side-by-side seating car, and one tandem seating car. When the X Prize was first conceived the purse split a three way split.
The ten million dollar cash purse will be awarded to the teams that win a long-distance stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 miles-per-gallon energy equivalent. Both new vehicles and modifications of existing vehicles may enter.
The time table looks like, deadline for applications, end of Feb 2009. Deadline for data, 1st of May. The major hoopla starts Sept. 2009. Qualifying starts in May 2010 and runs through Aug. 2010. Finals Aug 2010, with the winners ceremony to be held in Washington DC sometime in Sept 2010.
This is going to be something to watch as it unfolds…