the "Edison2" wins the Automotive X Prize!

This 800-pound machine just won the Automotive X Prize - and it just uses a turbocharged, internal-combustion engine, nothing exotic or electric here:


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The competition had a lot of requirements, including that competitors need to achieve at least 100mpge; this means "equivalent to 100mpg of liquid fuel," so if you use a straight-up electric, it needs to use the kWh equivalent to 100mpg of gasoline. They also had to be production-capable, well-performing, low-emissions, and safe. Many of the competitors will be available soon to consumers. So cool!

The Edison2 was the overall winner of $5 million, but there were two other winners. Li-Ion Motors took home $2.5 million in the Alternative Side-by-Side Class:


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And the X-Tracer won the $2.5 million Alternative Tandem Class:


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If vehicles like these are in our future, I foresee personal transportation will remain personal, even in a post-oil world.

Chris