“The project that really gets my fancy right now is that I am building one of those X Prize cars,” says Oliver Kuttner, one of Kenny Shreves’ early employers and a race car enthusiast himself. The goal of the Automotive X Prize competition, sponsored by Progressive Insurance, is to “think about a cleaner, safer, more fuel-efficient vehicle that could move us away from gasoline,” says X Prize spokesperson Carrie Fox. The $10 million prize will be distributed among winning teams in a cross-country stage race for vehicles that exceed 100 MPG.
“We will go 100 miles per gallon or more,” says Kuttner. “And it will work, it’ll be nice and it’ll be safe.”
Production capability is another important aspect of the competition, as are business plans. All teams need to prove that their concept has viable, workable elements that are compatible with the consumer market. The design has to be able to bring at least 10,000 units per year to the national market. “We are really not highlighting science projects or concept cars,” says Fox.
“Researching and doing this made me realize that the automotive makers are truly building the best thing they can for the money,” says Kuttner.
