Progressive Automotive X PRIZE - The Ultimate Fuel Economy Challenge: 100 + Hopefuls Intend to Compete for $10 Million -- Electric & Hybrid Cars

As American drivers prepare to fill up their gas tanks, many hopeful winners of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE –a multimillion dollar competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles – are laboring away in their garages and test facilities, with the shared goal of finding a solution that will make filling up that gas tank much less painful on the wallet in the coming years.

To date, more than 120 teams, from 28 states and 17 countries, intend to compete for their share of a $10 million prize purse, which will be awarded to those that can design and build production-capable, 100 MPGe (miles per gallon energy equivalent) vehicles that people will want to buy and that meet market needs for price, size, capability, safety and performance.

Take a look at some of the entries:

	Aptera Motors With the 2008 Electric Aptera, it is very easy to figure out the mileage range. The mileage is determined by the distance you can drive, under normal circumstances, until the batteries are effectively drained. In the case of the first Aptera typ-1e, we have calculated the range to be about 120 miles.
	Commuter Cars Corporation The alternative car is the Tango. Size does matter. As many as four Tangos can fit in one parallel parking space. Many parking locations also have spaces that only motorcycles and Tangos can fit in. Its 80-mile range is nearly 4 times the distance the average commuter travels per day. With high-tech batteries, range could exceed 150 miles per charge. Check out this years, 2008 electric car!
	Hybrid Technologies Hybrid Technologies is a development stage technology company that is focusing its resources and efforts on the development and marketing of lithium-powered vehicles.
	Miles Automotive Group Miles Electric Vehicles is a manufacturer and distributor of full electric vehicles manufactured in China to meet international car safety standards. MILES was recently given the "Electric Car Company of 2007" award by Good Clean Tech.
	Myers Motors Myers Motors, has upgraded the Sparrow, renamed it the MM NmG ("No more Gas"), and started selling it in April of 2006. As of June, the website lists a price of $29,995 without taxes or shipping for this years 2008 electric car model.
	Phoenix Motorcars Phoenix Motorcars announced that it was on the road to producing over 500 Phoenix Sport Utility Trucks featuring more compact packaging of the Altairnano Nanosafe battery than originally projected.With a peak power output of 200 kW and low manufacturing cost process.
	Reva The REVA is designed for city commuters across the globe, for an economical and pollution free driving experience. It is designed for low speed, congested, urban conditions. Being efficient and cost-effective, the REVA has the lowest running cost in the world!
	Tesla Motors The Tesla Roadster, is an all-electric sports car. According to test results from an EPA certified laboratory, the car has a range of 221 miles. The company and reviewers state that the Tesla Roadster accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds, and has a top speed of 125 mph.
	Think The new TH!NK city has ABS brakes, dual airbags, and meets all European and US safety requirements. It has a range of 170 km (106 miles), a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph).
	Venture Vehicles The VentureOne is a three wheeled vehicle being developed by Venture Vehicles for sale in 2010, with a hybrid and all electric propulsion options.[1] It is classified legally as a 3 wheel motorcycle. The design is scheduled to be finalized in late 2008 with a nationwide rollout starting in early 2010.

	Zap! ZAP-X is expected to sell in the $60,000 range next year. Its all-aluminum frame allows us to add additional batteries that give it a 350-mile range, a penny-a-mile operational cost, 155mph capability, touchscreen controls, and all-biometric entry and ignition.