Automotive X Prize News: Sept 14th, 2008

By Eric Boyd on September 14, 2008 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tags:

Chevy Volt,

Cornell University,

Fisker,

MDI,

Project Better Place,

Tesla,

ZAP,

ZAP Alias,

Zero Pollution Motors

Only a little news this week: Cornell, the Air Car, Tesla, ZAP. Plus, the X Prize Foundations launches a prize prize (pictured), Fisker gets more funding, GM is approaching it's centennial (where they will officially unveil the Volt), and Renault delays Project Better Place EV deliveries into 2011.

Video Interview: Cornell's Automotive X Prize

Air Cars vs. Electric Cars vs. Hybrids - which are greener?, with some real numbers in the analysis.

Tesla V1.5 hits the road, with the new transmission / power electronics. V2 is destined for the sedan and will feature liquid cooling of the engine.

EV Maker Detroit Electric is Back Again, Again. Apparently the brand is no longer under the control of ZAP, and is instead residing now with Lotus exec Albert Lam. What this means for the ZAP Alias (which was supposed to be a Detroit Electric branded vehicle) is not clear, especially since the zapworld website still shows a prominent Detroit Electric logo next to a picture of the Alias.

The X Prize Foundation has launched a new "prize prize", a $25,000 prize for the best 2-minute video describing a green prize. YouTube, Press Release, blog post, rules (PDF).

Economist: save the world and become a millionaire, a nice piece which mentions the Automotive X Prize and some good background.

Fisker closes $65 million series funding round, investors included Kleiner Perkins.

Tata shows off electric Indica at SIAM Expo

GM at 100: Is Its Future Electric? - great article on the Chevrolet Volt by the New York Times.

Renault delays electric car exports, "the launch will now be a year later than originally predicted by Project Better Place", making it 2011. On the up side, Toronto is now in discussions with PBP.

Readers might be interested in the Alt Car Expo, to be held Sept 26-27 in Santa Monica. Many X Prize teams will be present, and Cristin Lindsay (X PRIZE Foundation, Senior Director, Progressive Automotive X PRIZE) is on a judging panel for the Bus of the Future event.