16th January 2008

The Automotive X PRIZE, the $10m-plus competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles, is releasing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to U.S. cities interested in hosting a stage of the 2009-2010 race competition at the current North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The Automotive X PRIZE is showing the innovations of its early entrants at their booth during the show.

The Automotive X PRIZE, which was created to help break the world’s addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change, is an independent and technology-neutral competition, open to teams from around the world who can design, build and bring to market 100 mpg-equivalent vehicles that people want to buy, and that meet market needs for price, size, capability, safety and performance.

To date, more than fifty teams from seven countries have signed Letters of Intent to compete and the Automotive X PRIZE continues to solicit additional teams to enter the competition. Prospective teams will remain able to register for at least the next 60 days.

Once the competition launches - in early 2008 - those who qualify will embark on a rigorous cross-country race that combines speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance in 2009-2010. The winners will need to exceed 100 mpg-equivalent fuel economy, fall under strict emissions caps and finish in the fastest time.

The racing segment of the Automotive X PRIZE is expected to travel through ten U.S. cities while being broadcast to a global audience in 2009 and 2010.

To date, the Automotive X PRIZE has received support and encouragement from several government agencies that will help the privately funded organisation conduct the competition and test vehicle compliance, including the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory; the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway, Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ); and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Non-governmental organisations supporting the Automotive X PRIZE include the National Wildlife Federation, National Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, the Apollo Alliance, the Consumer Federation of America, Global Green USA, CALSTART and Greenpeace among others.

For more details on the Competition Guidelines or to view a list of the 50-plus teams that have signed a letter of intent to compete, visit http://auto.xprize.org.