2013 Audi A3

$1 Billion Prize Proposed For 100 MPG Car

 
5 4,697 views Feb 10, 2012

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If California Representative Dan Lungren has his way, automakers may soon have an incentive other than environmental responsibility to design and produce cars that deliver fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon.

According to Fox News, Lungren has introduced a bill in Congress that would award a a $1 billion prize to the first automaker that builds and successfully launches a 100 mpg car. As you’d expect, there are strings attached to the potential prize.

First, the automaker must bring the car to market and sell 60,000 examples to qualify. The car must run on gasoline, not battery power, and must be built by a manufacturer incorporated in the United States.

No car currently on the market would even come close to qualifying for the prize, which seems to ignore all other factors in the name of fuel economy. Could a car return 100 mpg on gasoline and still deliver the comfort, safety and performance that buyers have come to expect? Based on existing technology, our guess would be no.

It’s also odd that diesel, which holds more promise for delivering the type of fuel economy envisioned, seems to be excluded from consideration. Maybe that’s the point Lungren is trying to make, and setting the bar high ensures that manufacturers will work to develop fuel-saving technologies that don’t exist today.

We have no idea how the prize, if approved, will be funded, but we like the basic concept behind the idea. When it comes to pushing the envelope of technology, few incentives through the ages have worked better than cold, hard cash.



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Comments (5)

  1. Enzo avatar Enzo Rollis Posted: 2/10/2012 2:22pm PST

    properly cost the same to develop the car and the 60k needed to be awarded the "prize"? give or take,but i would like to see it be done just dont make it look like a Prius and am on board.
     
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  2. fb_708490175 avatar Chop Up Posted: 2/10/2012 6:00pm PST

    It would cost more than a billion to engineer any vehicle for the American market. (IF) a manufacturer built a auto like this it wouldn't be for the money. A better idea would be to give that money to a company that can develop a 100% battery powered mid-size auto that can travel 100 miles on a quick charge from a home outlet. Let's take emissions out of autos and control them in power plants. It'll increase profit margin for manufacturers and lower maintenance cost for car owners. Besides power companies get better price quotes when they buy fuel than the average Joe. It's the next logical step to become foreign oil independent. We could use those billions to repair our nation infrastructure (Not the middle East) so we can enjoy the ride.
     
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  3. jmlb11@verizon.net avatar Joseph Bedard Posted: 2/11/2012 9:53am PST

    DITTO !!!
     
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  4. jmlb11@verizon.net avatar Joseph Bedard Posted: 2/11/2012 9:51am PST

    Give away more money !! Fine them every year till they come up with the 100MPG car ...
     
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  5. fb_506522921 avatar Dom Mangles Posted: 2/12/2012 12:43am PST

    why go backwards?

    if thats the case lets build a coal powered steam car that does 100miles per charcoal brick.
     
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