On March 20, the X-Prize Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Santa Monica, will formally release plans for its races and invite teams from around the world “to design, build, and sell super efficient cars that people want to buy.” The Foundation will stage at least two races for two classes of vehicles. Winners will need to get better than 100 mpg (or its energy equivalent), meet strict emission constraints, be ready to put their vehicles into production, and finish the race in the shortest time. Winners will split at least $10 million in prize money.

“The Automotive X-Prize has the potential to revolutionize the auto industry,” says Automotive X-Prize Executive Director, Don Foley. “Competitors have a unique opportunity to help bring about tangible, positive change: lower fuel costs, reduced carbon emissions, and an invigorated market.”

It’s clear from the rules that competing vehicles can’t just be home projects. For one thing, they must meet U.S. EPA Tier II (bin 5) emission restrictions, put out no more than 200 gm of CO2 generated per mile, and generate no more greenhouse gases than today’s typical production cars. To prove they are ready for production, vehicles must meet safety regulations in the U.S. and even be market able. That means having a cost at a production rate of 10,000 units per year within levels the market will likely bear, and having features and performance consumers consider when purchasing automobiles. Design teams must also have a reasonable business plan for bringing their vehicles to market.

There are two competition classes, Mainstream and Alternative. Mainstream vehicles are four-passenger, four-wheeled cars and trucks that meet conventional expectations for size and performance. Alternative vehicles must carry at least two passengers and embody innovations that push conventional auto design. They can have any number of wheels. Both classes have the same requirements for fuel economy and emissions.

The two key public events will be cross-country qualifying and grand prize final races. But don’t look for X-Prize cars cruising down your street. It now appears the race will be on closed courses that reflect typical consumer driving patterns through varied terrain and weather conditions. Officials have yet to choose the cities through which these races will pass, but expectations are that the first leg will take place next year with the final in 2010. “We are currently talking with a number of cities interested in hosting stages of the competition,” says Foley. “And we will soon issue a formal request for proposals to more than 100 cities that might want to host parts of the competition.”

Currently 54 teams from eight countries have signed letters of intent saying they will participate in the competition.

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