The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize is a global competition offering $10 million in prizes to teams that can develop commercially viable cars able to travel 100 miles on one gallon of petrol, or the equivalent energy in another form.

However they are powered, the vehicles must also emit less than 200 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. That is around half that of a typical passenger vehicle, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The X Prize Foundation behind the competition aims to combine big-money prizes for tough technical challenges with a strong public appeal – an approach first tested by the Ansari X Prize aiming to kickstart commercial spaceflight. Other current prizes included a $30m purse for demonstrating a lunar rover.   Read More...