Discover Hybrid Cars

Looks like the X-PRIZE Foundation is at it again. This time it seeks to award $10,000,000 for a super-fuel efficient vehicle. To further ideas and designs for realistic, safe, affordable fuel-efficient vehicles, the Automotive X-PRIZE seeks to do for vehicle travel what the Ansari X-PRIZE did for space travel.

By offering up $10 mil, the X-PRIZE is out to “leverage the elements of public interest, entrepreneurial spirit and cross-disciplinary innovation to bring about breakthroughs that benefit us all.” Well, 10 million smackers should do it.

Sponsored by Progressive Insurance, the Automotive X-PRIZE competition is passed the qualifying stages (teams must pass a series of rigorous reviews of their business plans and technical specs) and onto the fun part—the track. From the end of April to September, the 41 teams will gradually be eliminated and whittled down to the one $10,000,000 dollar winner.

Unlike the X-PRIZE for space, the Automotive X-PRIZE promises something more tangible to the general public in the form of super fuel efficient automobiles. We here at Discover Hybrids are damn excited to see what comes out of this year’s competition—stay tuned for the updates.

Welcome to the newest installment here at Discover Hybrid Cars—Green Gal of the Week (more or less). Why the qualifier you ask? Because, as Bukowski said, “My ambition is handicapped by my laziness.” Translation: we mean well, we’re just easily distracted and prone to lethargy.

And, just to keep you titillated, this week we’re merely announcing the new installment series, as we don’t really have a Green Gal to award this week, or an award to give her. So, while our interns furiously scour the warehouse for prizes, our crack reporter is out and about trying to locate some gals worthy of the award. Stay Tuned.

VW Sweden has awarded the winner for their Fun Theory viral video campaign, and the winner is, not surprisingly, as coated in sticky-hippy sensibilities as the contest organizers themselves.

Now, save for our token right-leaning intern, the staff here at Discover Hybrids loves sticky-hippy sensibilities. Of course, we like ‘em best when they’re stuck on skinny hippy celebrity girls with flowers in their hair and patchouli in their pockets. But we digress.

The Fun Theory, as it states on their site, “is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better.” Not a bad premise. And, judging by the amount of attention this campaign garnered, it’s not a bad way for VW to align themselves with the green side of things.

The above video, The Speed Camera Lottery, is the winner. Go here to check out the other entries and the Fun Theory campaign.

Who knew that plugging in an electric car could double your household's energy consumption? Looks like Microsoft did. So they’ve teamed up with their old cronies at the Blue Oval (see the Ford Sync) to sell us on their solution, Microsoft Hohm.

Microsoft Hohm, a web based application out since last July, lets you analyze how much energy your home sucks every day; in hopes that if you can track it, you can reduce it. By teaming with Ford, the dynamic duo plans to help consumers “automatically manage recharging their vehicles.”

Sounds harmless, even helpful, until you read this curious announcement on the same site: “Today, we’ve announced the infusion of Microsoft Hohm’s technology into Ford’s aggressive global electrification strategy.” Aggressive global electrification strategy? Someone call Spiderman—Electro’s on the loose!