Progressive Automotive X Prize

About the Challenge

This competition will place a major focus on affordability, safety, and the environment. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE is about real cars, meeting real standards that consumers want to buy, not science projects or concept cars. The competition’s gauge of success will be a new benchmark, called MPGe, for Miles per Gallon or Energy Equivalent that will take into account energy equivalence no matter what the source. Extremely low emissions will also be required in order to stem the effects cars are having on climate change.

1. Vehicle Design: Ambitious teams from around the world will design and build production‐capable, super fuel‐efficient and clean vehicles.Vehicles must be proven to meet rigorous standards, including:
   • High fuel economy (100 MPGe) with low emissions (200 g/mi CO2e wells‐to‐wheels greenhouse gas emissions and low tail pipe emissions)
   • Production‐capable and designed to reach the market in volumes of at least 10,000 units per year
   • Safe and affordable
   • Minimum capacities, performance, and features
2. Vehicle Qualification: A thorough qualification process, completed in October 2009, assessed safety, cost, features and business plans to ensure only production‐capable, real cars compete.
   • Mainstream class = Vehicles that meet current consumer expectations for size and capability
   • Alternative class = Outlet for innovative ideas that push forward today's concept of "what a car is"
3. Vehicle Testing: Vehicles will be tested for efficiency, performance, and durability under real‐world conditions:
   • Technology and fuel neutral
   • Simulated city, hill, distance, and speed segments
   • Vehicles with best overall time in the competition events that meet the minimum requirements will split the purse: Half of the $10M prize purse will be awarded to the Mainstream Class winner. The remaining $5M will be split between two winners in the Alternative Class ‐ one vehicle with side‐by‐side seating, and one vehicle with tandem seating