Earth Watch
Visionary Vehicles:
Moving Towards a Sustainable Planet
by Elyssa Paige
What is the greatest gift that we can give to our children? Some may say love or positive values—and yes, these are wonderful ideas. But in order for our youth to experience these joys and bring them into adulthood, they must have a place in which to do it. At the rate we’re going, it seems clear that the earth will not sustain our way of life forever. What about the children then?
Alarm bells are ringing and I hear them every time I gas up at the pump. Fuel prices have been dropping lately, but don’t be fooled. Our fossil fuel dependence is something we must address now to protect the earth for generations to come.
Fortunately for us, people are realizing this on a grand scale. Even major corporations are looking for a solution. Progressive Insurance is stepping up to play a vital role in sponsoring the X Prize, a quest to inspire a new generation of safe and super-efficient vehicles.
A non-profit organization, the X Prize Foundation works to create contests which drive innovators to solve the world’s greatest challenges to benefit humanity. $10 million will be awarded to the teams that win a cross-country race with clean, production-capable vehicles that get at least 100 miles per gallon (mpg) or the energy equivalent.
The qualifying round of races will begin in New York City in 2009 and the final race will take place in 2010. The contest will be an opportunity to assess the contenders’ vehicles for safety, fuel-efficiency, performance and durability under real-world conditions. Most importantly, the cars must not just be conceptually attractive, but realistic and marketable to the public.
60 teams from around the world have entered the X Prize with cars that promise to reduce our carbon footprint. The technologies range from hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles, to cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells and solar energy. Some of the cars run on compressed air or even water. Other vehicles have zero-emissions or are 100 percent recyclable. While some technologies are completely new, others do not reinvent the production process, but rather, build upon what’s already on the market by taking successfully mass-produced cars or parts and improving their design to increase fuel-efficiency—something our major auto producers could already be doing. Various teams have achieved this through aerodynamic and lightweight design modifications. Others have simply captured energy otherwise wasted to help power the vehicles, such as the heat from radiators or the energy generated from applying the brakes.
The X Prize is paving the way for a clean energy future with vehicles that will help curb the effects of climate change and break our addition to oil. Becky Lewis, Communications Specialist for the X Prize Foundation, believes that “by reducing our dependence on oil and limiting automotive CO2 emissions, The Progressive Automotive X Prize will help make the planet cleaner and healthier for future generations.”
The X Prize Foundation is taking it one step further by making education a major component of the contest’s ambitions. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Progressive Automotive X Prize have come together to develop a national education program to inspire youth and the general public about the alternative vehicle options of the future.
Through a $3.5 million grant, the program will engage students and instill within them the skills they’ll need to compete in a global economy: teamwork, innovative thinking, and creativity, as well as strong reading, math and science skills. The program will offer online resources for an interactive experience allowing both students and the general public to follow the vehicles as they perform in real-time during the races. This will generate excitement among students while providing an essential opportunity for them to learn about the environmental issues we collectively face and inspire them to become leaders in creating solutions of their own.
One of the X Prize competitors is actually a high school team from Philadelphia entering a hybrid vehicle. These children are striving to meet the challenge by making it clear that the greatest gift we can give to the next generation is a planet that will sustain us all. The technology is out there and many of these cars are already on the market.
More and more people are realizing that our natural resources are finite and must be treasured. This critical time is an opportunity to grow as a species, to truly evolve and create a harmonious relationship with the earth. The possibilities are infinite.
For more information on The Progressive Automotive X Prize and the technologies of the competing teams, visit www.progressiveautoxprize.org. Contact Elyssa Paige at elyssa@visionmagazine.com.