Back at the New York Motor Show in March, X PRIZE Foundation & Progressive Insurance announced the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition with a USD 10 million prize purse. The competition is open to any team who can 'design, build and bring to market 100 MPGe (miles per gallon energy equivalent) vehicles that people want to buy, and that meet market needs for price, size, capability, safety and performance'.
Motive Industries has now released a short press release of their 100 mpg shooting brake, currently nameless but referred to as the BEHEV (Battery Exchange Hybrid Electric Vehicle). The 2+2 uses a modular composite / aluminum / steel chassis, lightweight bio-composite body panels, front-wheel-drive multi-speed quickshift transaxle and draws its power from a high-performance ICE generator. This is just the first draft and there are no specifications known yet but we like what we see.
The first stage of the competition is set to start in September 2009 so Motive Industries and the 60 other teams from around the globe still have time to refine their designs.
Motive believes that the transportation sector needs to undergo a rapid evolutionary change in order to maintain current standards of living while reducing our energy needs dramatically. In order to achieve this, a shift is required toward low volume high-tech manufacturing techniques. This will enable us rapid evolution of individualized vehicles that use a fraction of the energy required by today's automobiles and public transportation vehicles. The Automotive X-Prize will help to push the boundaries of what is perceived not only as possible, but also as probable. Motive's intent in entering the X-Prize is to demonstrate our capabilities in the fields of automotive design and engineering. Motive believes in the need for innovation and sustainability and is thus committed to developing and using ecologically sensitive materials and manufacturing methods.
The 2 initial renders below depict our BEHEV - Battery Exchange Hybrid Electric Vehicle that combines the appeal of a sports car with everyday versatility. The sporty 2+2 shooting brake is framed within a layered structure giving it muscular forms and proportions. Keep an eye on Motive for future developments.
- Four passenger, full size vehicle
- BEHEV tm - Battery Exchange Hybrid Electric Vehicle
- Modular composite/aluminium/steel chassis structure
- Lightweight bio-composite RIM body panels
- FWD multi-speed quickshift transaxle
- Regenerative braking, traction control
- High-performance ICE generator
- 1800lbs
Motive has the benefit of working with a team of well qualified partners to help develop a remarkable vehicle. To learn more about the competition visit the official X-Prize website: http://progressiveautoxprize.org/
