Desert Fuel was featured in an article on Edmunds.com, click here to take a look: Automotive X Prize Teams Rev Up To Compete Five Teams and Their 100-mpg Alternative-Fuel Vehicles...
Arizona Based Desert Fuel Among 60 Teams in 10 Countries Competing in a Multimillion Dollar Competition for 100 MPGe Vehicles
Local Arizona Team to Build the Ultimate Hyper-Mileage Vehicle for the Automotive X-PRIZE
Phoenix, AZ March 20, 2008 — Arizona based team Desert Fuel is among more than 60 teams from 10 countries who have signed an official letter of intent to compete in the multimillion dollar Automotive X-PRIZE Competition, designed to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles to help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change.
Desert Fuel is founded on the premise that everyday people can do extraordinary things. The core team consists of 8 people, who each have full time jobs outside of the automotive field, but possess the knowledge, talent, and passion to build the ultimate hyper-mileage passenger vehicle. With specialties including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, business management, design, and fabrication, the perfect team is in place to compete with multi-million dollar projects. The smaller team size also allows for the rapid development of cutting edge technologies while being void of the red tape that may slow such advancements in larger corporations.
While modified vehicles exist that can achieve well over 100 MPG, producing such vehicles would currently make the final price cost-prohibitive for most consumers. Team Desert Fuel is combining and refining many technologies to fit into an attractive and affordable package. The team’s X-PRIZE entry is intended to be a one-off production ready vehicle. The business concept calls for assembly in Africa, availability to markets worldwide, and a retail price of less than $35,000 USD.
The technology will not be obsolete in only a few years as the vehicle will use modular systems to allow for upgrades to lighter, more power dense technology enriched elements as they become commercially available. The use of modular systems will effectively reduce the carbon footprint and reduce the need to replace a vehicle every few years. The vehicle will also feature a truly versatile internal combustion engine allowing the consumer to use readily available pump diesel or more environmentally friendly biodiesel or even waste vegetable oil; all without any time-consuming or costly modifications. Desert Fuel’s vehicle is intended to last for over 50 years while remaining “green” compared to the poor mileage, fossil fuel burning, and disposable vehicles of today. A small company, born in the Arizona desert, plans to lead the automotive revolution with advancement in vehicle design and quality.
The international competition, in which qualified teams will compete head to head, aims to dramatically increase consumer access to ultra-efficient, clean, affordable and desirable vehicles. The independent and technology-neutral AXP competition is open to teams from around the world to prove they can design, build and bring to market 100 MPG or equivalent fuel economy vehicles that people want to buy. Industry experts will scrutinize team plans. Those that qualify will race their vehicles in rigorous cross-country stages that combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance. The winners will be the vehicles that exceed 100 MPG equivalent, fall under strict emissions caps and finish in the fastest time.
“We are thrilled with the wide variety of teams and technologies from around the world that have expressed an interest in joining the competition,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, CEO and Chairman, X PRIZE Foundation. “We are confident that the Automotive X PRIZE will motivate and bring visibility to a range of non-traditional solutions from both traditional and non-traditional players. The time for incremental change is over. We need radical breakthroughs to stem the consumption of fossil fuels. An X PRIZE can help make this happen.”
ABOUT DESERT FUEL
Desert Fuel is a grassroots operation directed by two brothers, Bryan McCoy with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Jason McCoy, a fabrication expert who is currently serving in the United States Air Force. Inspired by automobiles from a young age, the brothers bring zeal and unconventional design methodologies to achieving a fuel efficient vehicle that is fun to drive. The core team consists of 8 people with specialties in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, business management, design, and fabrication.
ABOUT THE AUTOMOTIVE X PRIZE
The goal of the Automotive X PRIZE (AXP) is to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change. The multi-million dollar AXP purse will be awarded to the teams that win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 miles per gallon equivalent fuel economy. For more information please visit www.auto.xprize.org or email autoprize@xprize.org.
ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION
The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. On October 4, 2004, the X PRIZE Foundation captured world headlines when Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan and Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world’s first private vehicle to space twice in two weeks to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Foundation has since expanded its mission beyond space exploration to offer new prizes for breakthroughs in the areas of life improvement, equity of opportunity and sustainability. In October of 2006, the X PRIZE Foundation announced the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for genomics, which will reward the first private effort to map 100 human genomes in 10 days ushering in a new era of personalized preventative medicine. For more information please visit www.xprize.org or email press@xprize.org.
For more information about Desert Fuel, please visit www.desertfuel.org or email info@desertfuel.org.
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Phoenix Based Desert Fuel Announces Intent to Compete in Multimillion Dollar Competition for 100 MPGe Vehicles
Desert Fuel Currently Among Dozens of Teams Vying for Automotive X-PRIZE
Phoenix, AZ August 7, 2007 - Desert Fuel announced its official intent to compete in the multimillion dollar Automotive X Prize Competition, designed to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles to help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change.
Desert Fuel is among more than 30 teams from around the world who have signed an official letter of intent, signaling their intent to apply for the AXP competition. Once fundraising for the prize purse and administration is complete, the Automotive X Prize will officially launch
Desert Fuel plans to compete in the mainstream category and has embarked on the development of a cutting edge prototype vehicle for the AXP competition. The vehicle will utilize LED lighting both internally and externally, including head lights, tail lights, back lighting, and various displays. Since the main drive motor will be electric, the vehicle will have the ability to plug into standard AC wall outlets, tapping into worldwide power grids. The main drive train will consist of direct drive three phase AC electric motors capable of approximately 400 foot pounds of torque. Solar energy will be used to recharge the vehicle for short commutes, reducing the strain on the power grid and increasing the fuel economy of the vehicle. A four cylinder biodiesel generator will provide the electric power for long distance driving. Since fuel economy is of the utmost importance, the vehicle will recapture lost energy through regenerative braking, exhaust fed reluctance generators, and steam power energy recapture. Ready to use power will be provided to passengers via four built in charging units; two for small devices, and two for large (over 70 watt) devices utilizing iTip technology from Mobility Electronics, Inc.
The international competition, in which qualified teams will compete head to head, aims to dramatically increase consumer access to ultra-efficient, clean, affordable and desirable vehicles. The independent and technology-neutral AXP competition is open to teams from around the world to prove they can design, build and bring to market 100 MPG or equivalent fuel economy vehicles that people want to buy. Industry experts will scrutinize team plans. Those that qualify will race their vehicles in rigorous cross-country stages that combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance. The winners will be the vehicles that exceed 100 MPG equivalent, fall under strict emissions caps and finish in the fastest time.
“We are thrilled with the wide variety of teams and technologies from around the world that have expressed an interest in joining the competition,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, CEO and Chairman, X PRIZE Foundation. “We are confident that the Automotive X PRIZE will motivate and bring visibility to a range of non-traditional solutions from both traditional and non-traditional players. The time for incremental change is over. We need radical breakthroughs to stem the consumption of fossil fuels. An X PRIZE can help make this happen.”
ABOUT DESERT FUEL
Desert Fuel is a grassroots team led by two brothers, Bryan and Jason McCoy. Bryan brings a new perspective to the power management systems in traditional vehicles with his electrical engineering background. Jason has an extensive mechanical background in fabrication and restoration; having worked on cars since his youth. When asked why the brothers have entered the competition, they replied: “Our goal is to provide discerning consumers the opportunity to purchase an affordable, reliable, and serviceable vehicle which is an ecological step in the right direction.”
ABOUT THE AUTOMOTIVE X PRIZE
The goal of the Automotive X PRIZE (AXP) is to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change. The multi-million dollar AXP purse will be awarded to the teams that win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 miles per gallon equivalent fuel economy. For more information please visit www.auto.xprize.org or email autoprize@xprize.org.
ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION
The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. On October 4, 2004, the X PRIZE Foundation captured world headlines when Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan and Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world’s first private vehicle to space twice in two weeks to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Foundation has since expanded its mission beyond space exploration to offer new prizes for breakthroughs in the areas of life improvement, equity of opportunity and sustainability. In October of 2006, the X PRIZE Foundation announced the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for genomics, which will reward the first private effort to map 100 human genomes in 10 days ushering in a new era of personalized preventative medicine. For more information please visit www.xprize.org or email press@xprize.org.
For more information about Desert Fuel, please visit www.desertfuel.org or email info@desertfuel.org.