| Regardless of what automakers tell us,
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| | offered by other organizations, and
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| the internal combustion engine has
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| | surprisingly, some of the largest
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| changed very little in the past hundred
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| | potential awards come from the federal
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| years. In fact, Ford's Model T averaged
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| | government. For instance, the Department
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| 28 mpg, while Ford's current model of the
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| | of Energy (DOE) has been authorized to
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| Explorer barely makes 16 mpg. No matter
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| | award up to $10 million in incentives for
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| how you look at it, that isn't what you
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| | technology that can be used to affordably
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| would call progress. However, Peter
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| | convert wood and other fibers into
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| Diamandis, founder of the X Prize, hopes
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| | ethanol. The DOE also has been authorized
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| to force automakers to do better by
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| | to offer what's been dubbed the Freedom
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| offering the first Automotive X Prize,
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| | Prize, a $5 million award for workable
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| which will focus on the creation of a new
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| | methods to significantly lessen America's
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| breed of vehicles that will be far more
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| | dependence on foreign oil. Unfortunately,
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| fuel efficient than anything offered by
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| | congress has yet to appropriate any
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| the current automobile industry. Part of
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| | actual money to fund either one of those
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| the innovative rules for the competition
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| | prizes. The good news for consumers in
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| will be that the winning vehicle will be
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| | the long run is that the federal
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| made available to consumers at a price
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| | government may be catching on the fact
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| they can afford. The X Prize Foundation
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| | that large cash awards can stimulate
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| hopes to encourage entrepreneurs to bring
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| | innovation in the private sector, but
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| about significant changes in the way
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| | it's been a long time coming. Charles
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| vehicles are propelled, with one of the
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| | Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic
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| main focuses still being on the use of
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| | Ocean in 1927 in pursuit of a $25,000
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| fossil fuel, since the vast majority of
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| | prize, but the government has done little
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| consumers still would prefer to be able
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| | since then to stimulate interest in
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| to use a "gas station" model
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| | alternative energy sources or fuel
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| when refueling. The Auto X Prize money
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| | efficient vehicles. The technology is out
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| hasn't been officially announced, but
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| | there, and if American entrepreneurs have
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| they awarded $10 million to the winner of
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| | enough incentive, our energy problems can
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| their competition for the world's first
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| | be defeated. Here's hoping the X Prize
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| private spaceflight in 2004. The
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| | Foundation's auto competition will be the
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| challenge this time: build a vehicle that
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| | first giant step in that process. It
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| gets up to 250 mpg while creating little
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| | worked for private space flight, so
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| or no pollution. It's a change that's
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| | there's no reason not to believe it won't
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| sorely needed, and since the government
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| | work for those of us here on Earth, as
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| and Big 3 automakers don't seem capable
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| | well. Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J.
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| of making it happen, perhaps prizes such
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| | FisherJeanette Fisher teaches
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| as the X Prize will bring about the
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| | environmental interior design.
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| change.There are other prizes being
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|
