High school students from Philadelphia’s inner city, the West Philly Hybrid X Team, are bringing their winning record to the to the $10 million Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition. The Team will provide a powerful example of how urban young people can impact climate change and create important roles for themselves in the new green economy. The students, and the cars they develop, will be models for the future.

The West Philly Hybrid X Team is based at the West Philadelphia High School’s Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering (AAME), a public high school serving one of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the city of Philadelphia. The Team of students and teachers, with support from business and higher education partners organized by Philadelphia Academies, Inc., has achieved unprecedented success that positions it perfectly to participate in the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition.

The West Philly Team has built and raced electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles for the last eleven years. As entrants in the Tour de Sol, they outperformed university teams and production vehicles, winning the competition in 2002, 2005 and 2006. In 2007, they won the 21st Century Automotive Challenge.

The Team’s participation in the Tour de Sol, in particular, has equipped it to undertake the much larger challenge of the X PRIZE. The technological rigor of the Tour de Sol has created a body of knowledge at the AAME unexpected at a public high school. The Team has also developed an articulate group of student experts, advocates and spokespersons who have achieved remarkable attention and respect within the automotive and greater Philadelphia communities. The Team is the front line of our marketing strategy.

The Team’s success has also depended on its extensive partnerships. Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (PAI) serves as the primary conduit to the team’s corporate and academic partnerships. The Team is currently working with the LeBow School of Business at Drexel University to develop our business plan. Drexel engineering students are working with the Team on development of our hybrid control system. We will continue to be supported by PAI in other partnership efforts including sponsorship and public relations.

The Team is entering vehicles in both the mainstream and alternative divisions.

Mainstream Entry:

The EVXb vehicle is a parallel plug-in hybrid based on the Ford Focus Chassis. This vehicle uses a two-cylinder 80 HP Harley-Davidson engine coupled to a 60 HP Azure Dynamics electric motor driving the front wheels. The electric motor is powered by a 10 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery pack from K2 Energy. This vehicle is a four-dour sedan that seats five people.

The EVXb vehicle will demonstrate that a high school team using off-the-shelf technology can create a vehicle that is safe and affordable AND meets the competition guidelines. Coupled with a professional business plan, we believe this vehicle will make a social statement unlike any other in the world.

The EVXb is a true flex fuel vehicle, capable of burning both gasoline and biobutanol. We want to test and highlight biobutanol as a next generation of renewable fuels and we will demonstrate its benefits outside of the competition. During the competition, we will run this vehicle only on the fuel sanctioned by the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE.

Alternative Entry:

The first hybrid sports car that our team built has continued to attract tremendous media and public attention. It has taught us that there is a viable market for a super-fast, fuel-efficient sports car. While we know this vehicle alone cannot change the automotive market, it is an important piece of the equation in changing public opinion about earth-friendly vehicles. This car also targets a viable market in our business plan.

The EVXd will be a two-seater, diesel electric sports car built on the Factory Five GTM frame. The drivetrain will be a VW TDI 1.9 liter engine and an Azure Dynamics electric motor driving the rear-wheels of the vehicle. The electric motor will be the primary drive motor for cruising around town under 50 mph. This biodiesel hybrid sports car uses the same 10 kWh LFP battery pack powering the same 60 HP Azure Dynamics electric motor that is in our sedan.