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100 mpg car could be worth $10 million

The State Journal Register -- VIRDEN — In a converted barn between Divernon and Virden, five Springfield-area men are working evenings and weekends in a quest to be the first in the world to produce a practical, marketable car that gets 100 miles to the gallon — and win the $10 million Automotive X Prize.

The team of friends who call themselves Illuminati Motor Works says it’s serious about the competition, and, collectively, they have a credible resume, with expertise in engineering, auto technology, business management and graphic arts.

“We have about a year left before the competition,” said team captain Kevin Smith of rural Virden.

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Submitted Mar 17, 2008 By: JT

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YLHandyman Champion Author Orange County Posts:5,008 Points:930,140 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:30:37 PM Ignore YLHandyman Report Abuse Who judges what is practical and marketable?
tbradley1973 Veteran Author Indianapolis Posts:334 Points:255,905 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 3:07:39 PM Ignore tbradley1973 Report Abuse As I stated, Won't ever happen...
NanaPeaches Rookie Author Milwaukee Posts:27 Points:4,980 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 2:51:00 PM Ignore NanaPeaches Report Abuse This is wonderful news!!! Something to get people thinking again!!! Our country has invented some of the most wonderful products (like the personal computer, telephone and light bulbs), so I know we've got the intelligence. This contest is helping to provide the incentive, and hopefully, we can all enjoy the results. I hope there's a hundred entries, so we can have a model choice when the time comes.
ParrotHead79 Sophomore Author Tennessee Posts:121 Points:101,505 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 2:22:51 PM Ignore ParrotHead79 Report Abuse At least it's a start
MetroSexual Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:2,637 Points:294,835 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 1:58:03 PM Ignore MetroSexual Report Abuse Problem: It will still take gasoline and we will still be dependent on oil.
pcjunkie7 Champion Author Florida Posts:1,643 Points:278,065 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 12:49:58 PM Ignore pcjunkie7 Report Abuse Would be great if we actually see them.
sivart Champion Author Arkansas Posts:15,131 Points:2,611,780 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 12:09:01 PM Ignore sivart Report Abuse I'm confident that it can be built but it will not be what the American public will buy!
wentzell5 Champion Author Tampa Posts:6,135 Points:1,194,360 Joined:Jan 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 12:06:04 PM Ignore wentzell5 Report Abuse can't wait until its on the market
Batchman Veteran Author Las Vegas Posts:267 Points:163,620 Joined:Jan 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:55:35 AM Ignore Batchman Report Abuse Lets hope it works
SJS Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:7,280 Points:2,198,860 Joined:Apr 2003	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:53:15 AM Ignore SJS Report Abuse hope it can work
joelimite Sophomore Author Virginia Posts:241 Points:74,260 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:48:23 AM Ignore joelimite Report Abuse I hope they can pull it off. Good luck guys.
EarlyMoose Champion Author Seattle Posts:2,163 Points:765,950 Joined:Dec 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:45:37 AM Ignore EarlyMoose Report Abuse Best of luck to y'all.
Sabredude Veteran Author New York Posts:413 Points:1,039,010 Joined:Dec 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:45:32 AM Ignore Sabredude Report Abuse Swell.
JB1881 Champion Author New Mexico Posts:7,610 Points:1,558,735 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:44:36 AM Ignore JB1881 Report Abuse Great!
niceguytx Champion Author Houston Posts:11,407 Points:2,251,020 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:44:14 AM Ignore niceguytx Report Abuse I wish them the best of luck, as I know I would like one.
doulosx All-Star Author Columbus Posts:735 Points:398,355 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:44:13 AM Ignore doulosx Report Abuse Hey cabdriver, what do you do when the sun don't shine and the wind don't blow? Nuclear is the real answer. The French figured that out a long time ago and a making a huge profit from it.
Lizzylou Champion Author Stockton Posts:7,025 Points:2,000,050 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:41:10 AM Ignore Lizzylou Report Abuse I like "gasie1" post!! : )
weenerdog Champion Author Detroit Posts:7,339 Points:1,438,710 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:40:31 AM Ignore weenerdog Report Abuse We don't have the power infrastructure either. Remember the big multistate blackout in the northeast a couple years ago? We have the same power grid we had then. What do you think the additional load of having a car charging in every garage would do to it? [Edited by: weenerdog at 3/18/2008 10:41:08 AM EST]
cabdriver Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:4,341 Points:1,035,100 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:37:18 AM Ignore cabdriver Report Abuse The french "air car" wont pass fed crash standards. we need to change the infrastructure of electric, right now most of it comes from burning coal. otherwise the electric car will just shift polution from gas to coal. we need new solar infrastructure, with wind farms.
AC-302 Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:21,263 Points:2,451,790 Joined:Aug 2004	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:35:03 AM Ignore AC-302 Report Abuse The key is weight reduction. But then again, how do we keep up with all those weighty "safety improvements" that DOT and NHTSA require cars to have? They certainly don't help in the weight reduction department? So we've now legislated that our automakers perform a balancing act.
Z34 Champion Author Toronto Posts:13,088 Points:2,224,325 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:34:03 AM Ignore Z34 Report Abuse Some of us could could go back to the horse and buggy. Then we could start a web-site to track the price of corn & horse feed.
Lonewolftx Champion Author Houston Posts:7,601 Points:1,514,730 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:33:11 AM Ignore Lonewolftx Report Abuse Go get em' boys . . .
440-6GTX Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:1,327 Points:278,620 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:32:10 AM Ignore 440-6GTX Report Abuse The oil companies will make that dissappear!
gasie1 Champion Author Maine Posts:8,586 Points:2,050,265 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:31:33 AM Ignore gasie1 Report Abuse And that would be nice and you could buy it at Walmart.
smiles99 Veteran Author Utah Posts:424 Points:79,400 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:30:26 AM Ignore smiles99 Report Abuse There is no way the oil companies will allow that to happen.
w4kh Champion Author Riverside Posts:9,311 Points:1,762,175 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:29:22 AM Ignore w4kh Report Abuse I am hoping the little MDI six-seater shows up soon... runs on compressed air - takes about $2 of electricity to fill the air tank for 125 miles, and the add-on engine can keep the tank filled for about 600 miles at over 100 mpg... coming soon to the US
lleddirj Champion Author Michigan Posts:3,681 Points:1,155,455 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:24:33 AM Ignore lleddirj Report Abuse By the time this is dominant in the market we will need 1000 mpg cars because there will be so little left.
janmj Champion Author Baltimore Posts:1,094 Points:1,394,800 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:24:31 AM Ignore janmj Report Abuse GO FOR IT JUST MAKE IT AFFORDABLE SO THE LITTLE GUY CAN BUY ONE
svtbolt2001 Veteran Author Houston Posts:484 Points:226,785 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:22:51 AM Ignore svtbolt2001 Report Abuse Yeah now a 100 MPG truck would be nice. Hell i would trade in my truck for one that would get 30MPG. Guaranteed sales.
KronicFever Champion Author Arkansas Posts:1,394 Points:144,965 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:21:56 AM Ignore KronicFever Report Abuse I wonder how long it will be before the developers are bought out by big oil.
JimL1 Champion Author Phoenix Posts:5,739 Points:806,475 Joined:Jul 2003	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:21:46 AM Ignore JimL1 Report Abuse We can continue to wait for a miracle. We can continue to wait for inexpensive vehicle that provide fantastic fuel mileage, or we can whine about the problem of the high cost of fuel, or we can say what someone else should do about the problem, or we can do something about it. Yes, you and I, that is each one of us can do something about the problem ourselves. You and I, that is we together, can solve this problem. Read on. bluebird1 is right when saying, "we all need to do things to alleviate the problem but no one individual is going to solve it." However, if each of us comes up with something that that person can do to help solve the problem him/herself, implements it, and shares it with others, we can together solve the problem. This concept is directly related to lines in a Revolutionary War song, "Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing fall!" I also like one of my father's sayings, "Talk is cheap, action is what counts." What will I do? I will conserve to lower the demand. I will reduce or eliminate to the best of my ability my purchases of imported products, particularly products from any country that exports more to us than we export to them, to help increase the value of the dollar. What, other than call others to action or whine about the problem, will you do? The articles are about high fuel prices and anyone concerned about high fuel prices should read and implement its ideas. I am. I can only dream that all comments which do not provide solutions which their author is willing to implement, could be automatically deleted. Blaming the government, the greedy oil industry, etc., or saying what someone else could do, is not productive. What is each of us doing to solve the problem for ourselves. Spread that around and more of us can exchange and implement each other's ideas and all can benefit. Just whining is stupid! To: fortwodriver, who said: "How can you not buy chinese... All Asian producers are feverishly trying to show the world they can make a product as good or better than the the countries they're designed in. Look at most of the crap made in the US... No good quality electronics or hardware have come out of the US in a couple of decades..." Remember the problems with poisoned dog food, lead paint on children's toys, etc., they came from China. Read on. You can help solve the problem! I know that I said it before, but apparently few read it so I will say it again. Anyone thinks that "Oil hits record near $112 as dollar slumps," is bad? If you do then just keep buying more Chinese and other imports and you will see $300.00 per barrel. When we import more than we sell, the dollar becomes worthless! Ask anyone who has lived in a country with rampant inflation what comes next. You will find that prices will double on everything, again, and again. Everything except wages that is, of course. Suck it up and buy more frozen strawberries and other Chinese products from Wal-Mart! DUH!!!! If we stop buying Chinese, or other imports, then, the stores will find products to sell that are made here. Fix what you have, Make it do, or do without, until Wal-Mart and the other discount stores wake up. We can make it happen. We can increase the value of our dollar. We can save our country's economy. If the company like Land's End will not tell you where it is imported from (Lands end advertisements simply say "imported), then do not buy it. China will not buy from USA so intelligent people in USA will avoid Chinese products like the plague. The only thing that I will continue to purchase at Wal-Mart is Distilled water. It comes from USA and they charge $0.68 per gallon while my grocery store charges over $1.00. I buy about a half a pallet at a time. I will also buy my prescriptions at Wal-Mart as they only charge me $4.00 for my generics, while Walgreens and CVS charge me $10.00. [Edited by: JimL1 at 3/18/2008 10:22:43 AM EST]
Egor Champion Author Regina Posts:2,287 Points:778,375 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:15:44 AM Ignore Egor Report Abuse How about a real challenge. A vehicle that will get 100mpg and haul something reasonable like a family or groceries. Or even a trailer or some lumber.
colrhino Veteran Author Atlanta Posts:375 Points:117,395 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:12:28 AM Ignore colrhino Report Abuse how about 150 MPG?
pandarisuresh Sophomore Author New Jersey Posts:201 Points:147,385 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:06:44 AM Ignore pandarisuresh Report Abuse good
pgerassi Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:8,516 Points:1,665,900 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 11:05:16 AM Ignore pgerassi Report Abuse There have been plenty of 100mpg vehicles. To a car, they have been lower in power than critics were willing to put up with. 20 second 0-60 times with drops down to 45MPH climbing a 8% grade were too "slow" for the market. 30-40HP is enough for commuting and that would get you to 85-95MPH sustained. Faster than you can legally go in any state (although Montana keeps flirting with unlimited summer freeway speeds). A turbo diesel hybrid would be the best of all worlds, can run on 8 fuels (diesel, gasoline (all diesels can), ethanol, methanol (with suitable fuel lines), biodiesel (used vegatble oil), fuel oil (only during summer and most stationary diesels use this as its cheaper and keeps like forever), kerosene and jet fuel), gets high mpg, low emissions and actually pulls CO2 from the air as biodiesel production sequesters more carbon into the ground than it emitted during burning.
priceml Veteran Author Fresno Posts:366 Points:1,331,570 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:59:44 AM Ignore priceml Report Abuse How safe could it be
Gas_Buzzer Champion Author South Carolina Posts:11,850 Points:2,165,620 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:56:59 AM Ignore Gas_Buzzer Report Abuse The patten will be worth more than 10 mil.
flatcoatfun Champion Author Orlando Posts:1,175 Points:500,730 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:46:34 AM Ignore flatcoatfun Report Abuse Very cool - these things can really help the technology advance
alsal55 Veteran Author Twin Cities Posts:494 Points:901,480 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:44:47 AM Ignore alsal55 Report Abuse I don't agree with Bluebird1. The consumer climate has changed dramatically. Car companies make money selling vehicles. Pickup trucks and SUVs have become hard to sell. Look at any car lot today; it is no longer filled with SUVs and trucks. It's filled with small cars. mpg has been the top topic for consumers at the recent auto shows. I think if a car company had the opportunity to be the first to market a 100 mpg vehicle, they would jump on it, especially one of the struggling American auto companies.
BlueBike Champion Author San Jose Posts:2,521 Points:635,135 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:41:44 AM Ignore BlueBike Report Abuse And it must survive a crash with a 3 ton Hummer.
JPGKC Champion Author Tampa Posts:4,419 Points:824,800 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:40:37 AM Ignore JPGKC Report Abuse Sign me up.
PremiumGas4Less Champion Author Gary Posts:1,639 Points:588,900 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:37:36 AM Ignore PremiumGas4Less Report Abuse yes it would.
RCinNM Champion Author New Mexico Posts:6,453 Points:925,415 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:37:09 AM Ignore RCinNM Report Abuse That would be nice.
bluebird1 Champion Author Toronto Posts:13,419 Points:2,653,900 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:36:56 AM Ignore bluebird1 Report Abuse Sounds like an innovative way to bring new tech. forward, however even if achieved & practical - no car company will be interested in it ....except to buy it to shelve it.
HockeyLady Champion Author New Jersey Posts:5,054 Points:1,996,865 Joined:Jun 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:34:28 AM Ignore HockeyLady Report Abuse hope they succeed
Chazzer Champion Author Nevada Posts:13,880 Points:2,869,885 Joined:May 2002	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:33:06 AM Ignore Chazzer Report Abuse Won't happen very soon!
unclebobMO Veteran Author Missouri Posts:266 Points:188,355 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:31:04 AM Ignore unclebobMO Report Abuse It sounds great, but getting a major manufacurer to mass produce them would be nearly impossible
Lovelee Champion Author Detroit Posts:17,019 Points:1,563,830 Joined:Mar 2007	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:28:30 AM Ignore Lovelee Report Abuse Why can't a small electric motor be used to start a vehicle. Then it would use less gas and could be rechanged while running on gas?
Magnum0829 Champion Author Jackson Posts:6,084 Points:1,367,470 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:27:05 AM Ignore Magnum0829 Report Abuse As mpg goes up, so will the price of gas at a similar rate.
tobasco Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:6,748 Points:1,756,220 Joined:Mar 2004	Message Posted: Mar 18, 2008 10:22:12 AM Ignore tobasco Report Abuse The intent is to spur innovation...how it gets used is another problem.