Case Study - Edison2 Hypercar

A Very Light Car targets sustainability

The men and women who design the very fast cars used in sports car racing have demonstrated that they are also the best at designing very light cars for sustainability. Recognizing that weight and aerodynamic drag are large issues in vehicle efficiency, the designers and engineers at Edison2 were determined to demonstrate that a very lightweight vehicle could be built targeting the hyper mileage goal of 100+ MPGe. Beyond the design goal was the target to out compete the world's best engineers and vehicle designs of the one hundred and eleven teams from around the world that entered the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE (PIAXP) in 2008. The goal of the PIAXP was "To inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change." Edison2 was awarded the grand prize in September 2010, winning the Mainstream class and the $5 million award. According to the X PRIZE Foundation: "Boasting the lowest drag coefficient of any car tested in the GM wind tunnel or at the Chrysler Proving Grounds, this innovative Very Light Car demonstrated over 100 MPGe on the test track under stringent testing conditions using a highly innovative 250cc turbocharged fuel injected single-cylinder engine fueled by E85. It requires only 8 pounds of force to push this vehicle. More like an airplane than a car, the Edison2 uses highly innovative light-weight, low mass hub-mounted suspension for its aerodynamically flared four wheels contributing to its sports car-like handling and braking. Its low total mass of 830 pounds is a tribute of engineering strength and packaging utility." –GM

Oliver Kuttner / Edison 2 Compete for the X PRIZE

X PRIZE Interview of Edison2: Peter Diamandis & Oliver Kuttner

Posted with permission of the X PRIZE Foundation (All Rights Reserved). Founded in 1995, the X PRIZE Foundation is the leading non-profit organization solving the world’s greatest challenges through creating and managing large-scale, high-profile, incentivized prize competitions that stimulate investment in research and development worth far more than the prize itself. The organization motivates and inspires brilliant innovators from all disciplines and socio-economic sectors to endow their intellectual and financial capital for the benefit of humanity. The X PRIZE Foundation conducts competitions in four Prize Groups: Education & Global Development; Energy & Environment; Life Sciences; and Exploration. Past prizes include the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for sending the world’s first private vehicle into space and back; and the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE for creating safe, affordable, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 MPG or energy equivalent (MPGe). Active prizes include the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, the $10 million Archon Genomics X PRIZE, and the $1.4 million Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE.