Automotive X Prize - Knockout Results

Half the field was eliminated last week as the Automotive X Prize Knockout round came to a close. The big loser was liquid fuel. Most gas and hybrid vehicles were eliminated, either due to breakdowns or failure to meet the 67 MPGe minimum efficiency standard. (Only five gas vehicles remain: three Very Light Cars from Edison2, a hybrid Viking 45 from WWU, and a faired scooter Spira from Thailand. None of them exceeded 100 MPGe, the required limit for the Finals next month.) One of the last hybrids eliminated, the FVT eVaro, was passing handily only because it never had to turn on the gas engine! It was forced to turn the engine on for the emissions test, which it failed.

If the Arcimoto Pulse had entered, it would have been in the Alternate side-by-side section. Here are remaining teams in this section.

• Amp Sky (86.7 MPGe)
• Aptera 2e (140.1 MPGe)
• Li-Ion Wave II (182.3 MPGe)
• Raceabout (128.1 MPGe)
• Tata Indica Vista EVX (134.3 MPGe)
• TW4XP (107.0 MPGe)
• WWU Viking 45 (92.5 MPGe)
• ZAP Alias (111.0 MPGe)

The Alias is probably the closest equivalent to the Pulse, having the same tadpole trike layout and size.

Do you still think 190 MPGe (175 Wh/mi) is realistic for your vehicle, considering the most efficient of the entrants barely reached 180 MPGe? (Note: 100 MPGe converts to about 340 Wh/mi in the X Prize calculations.) Ah, I see your estimate is for neighborhood driving only (15-20 MPH). The measured efficiencies above were a mixture of city, urban, and highway driving, where increased air resistance and frequent stops and starts significantly increase the power requirements.