Meet the Virginia-Built 110MPG X-Prize Car 370
tcd004 writes "Instead of using Detroit engineers or Silicon Valley bitheads, Virginia-based Edison2 relied on retired Formula 1 and Nascar engineers to build its entry for the X-prize. Relying on composite materials and titanium, the team assembled an ultra-lightweight car that provides all the comforts of a standard 4-passenger vehicle, but gets more than 100 mpg. The custom engineering goes all the way down to the car's lug nuts, which weigh less than 11 grams each. Amazingly, they expect a production version of the car should cost less than $20,000." Earlier today, in a Washington, DC ceremony, Edison2 received $5 million as the X-prize winner. Writes the AP (via Google) "Two other car makers will split $2.5 million each: Mooresville, N.C.-based Li-Ion Motors Corp., which made the Wave2, a two-seat electric car that gets 187 miles on a charge, and X-Tracer Team of Winterthur, Switzerland, whose motorcycle-like electric mini-car, the E-Tracer 7009, gets 205 miles on a charge. Both of those companies are taking orders for their cars."
Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
"Two other car makers will split $2.5 million each"
What does that mean? Does it mean they get $2.5 million each or is it split between them?
Re:gas engine ftw (Score:2, Funny)
Seriously - the only manufacturing in Lynchburg is Fleets Enemas. And Failwell UN-iversity grads. Come to think of it those are pretty much synonymous...
Re:Huh? (Score:1, Funny)
Both get $2.5 million each, then each splits it into $1.25m and gives $1.25m to the other.
Nascar Engineers? (Score:5, Funny)
Does this mean the car can only turn left?
Not 102.5 MPG In America (Score:5, Funny)
Unfortunately, after the added weight of an average American the car only gets 50 MPG.
Re:Nice car (Score:4, Funny)
2010 may finally be the year of 100MPG on the Car!
Re:Nice car (Score:1, Funny)
my Mazda3 is safe because I can turn HARD into a 120 degree right turn at 30mph without braking
Plus it's got plenty of trunk room for shopping sprees and comes in a hot pink that's just FABULOUS.
Re:Why (Score:3, Funny)
Why did the Model T Ford look like that?
For the love of God make one of these horseless carriages look like a damn horseless carriage.
Re:Nice car (Score:5, Funny)
And before you come back with some trite answer about it being a smug feel-good car, I've got two words for you to consider: Taxi Cab. If the Prius weren't a winner on all three of the metrics you name, why would taxi companies love the things as much as they do?
Ha! Have you ever met a New York cabbie? Because I sure haven't, and I'm assuming that there's never been a bigger bunch of hemp-wearing tree-hugging kumbaya-singing hippies. With disposable income.