And then there were 9: Teams advance in hunt for super-efficient vehicles

The X Prize competition to identify and encourage development of super-fuel-efficient vehicles just finished its finalist phase at the end of July. Nine vehicles out of the initial field of 136 are progressing to the so-called validation phase.

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE was created to help support the design of clean-tech vehicles that could achieve 100 miles per gallon (or the equivalent). There are several classes, including Mainstream, Alternative (Tandem) and Alternative (Side-by-Side). The purse is a whopping $10 million.

The finalists are from these organizations: Edison2, X-Tracer, Aptera, Li-ion Motors, RaceAbout Association, TW4XP and ZAP.

The video below is from inside the RaceAbout vehicle:

The whole X Prize concept is part of a non-profit organization that sets up different challenges. There currently are four different categories of innovation being encouraged: Exploration (Space and Oceans), Life Sciences, Energy & Environment, and Education & Global Development. The Progressive winners are supposed to be announced in mid-September.