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SUPPORTERSThe Progressive Automotive X PRIZE has received the following statements of support. We appreciate these expressions of support and encouragement. Government Bodies and Agencies
"The Department’s collaboration with the Automotive X PRIZE and Discovery Education leverages private sector expertise to educate and engage the public about technologies to transform our transportation sector. Together, we can inspire all Americans – including teachers, students, vehicle designers, and drivers – to join us in designing and operating a new generation of vehicles that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
- David E. Rodgers "Resolution: To congratulate the X PRIZE Foundation for their efforts to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that could help break the addiction of the United States to oil and stem the effects of climate change through the Automotive X PRIZE competition.
- S. Res. 486, 110th Congress, 2nd Session (full text of S. Res. 486) "The House of Representatives congratulates the X PRIZE Foundation’s leadership for inspiring a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil through the Automotive X PRIZE competition; congratulates the X PRIZE Foundation on their innovation and vision to bring together some of the finest minds in the public and private sectors, including government, academia, and industry, to advise and participate in the Automotive X PRIZE competition; and applauds the X PRIZE Foundation’s ongoing commitment to find solutions to some of humanity’s greatest challenges as exemplified in the Automotive X PRIZE."
- H. Res. 907, 110th Congress, 1st Session (full text of H. Res. 907)
"I applaud your organization for developing this Automotive X Prize challenge for significant improvement in fuel economy and for ensuring that safety is an important criterion in the contest. We wish you the best of luck and are please to offer our support to the contest." - Nicole R. Nason, Administrator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
"The California Air Resources Board (CARB) supports the innovative approach of the Automotive X PRIZE to focus capital, companies, and consumers on the important goal of bringing the cleanest vehicles to market. CARB believes that every citizen needs to take action to reduce their vehicle's environmental impact. By inspiring a new generation of vehicles, and giving consumers many vehicle options, we believe the Automotive X PRIZE can assist CARB in fulfilling our goals of protecting public health, providing innovative approaches for complying with emissions regulations, and providing leadership in enforcing those regulations." - California Air Resources Board Organizations
"We’re delighted to be teaming up with the X PRIZE Foundation on this very exciting competition. We think this is a great way to encourage the creation of new and more fuel-efficient vehicles.”
- David Champion
"NRDC believes that in order to solve global warming and cut our oil dependency, the auto industry must rapidly adopt the next generation of vehicle technologies - advance power trains, lightweight materials, and renewable fuels. NRDC supports the Automotive X PRIZE as an innovative method to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of America's technological prowess, and accelerate the introduction of climate-friendly cars. The real winners of the Automotive X PRIZE will be the health of our planet and of our children."
- Frances Beinecke
"The Sierra Club has long championed higher fuel economy standards for America's cars and light trucks, which emit twenty percent of all carbon dioxide pollution in the U.S. The technology exists today to make every car, SUV and pickup go further on a gallon of gas. The question is: what will the technologies of tomorrow be? As the threat from global warming looms over our planet, our country, and our consciousness, we need to inspire innovation that dramatically ratchets down these emissions. The Sierra Club recognizes the Automotive X PRIZE as an opportunity to drive automotive ingenuity and technological evolution to the next level. When technologies from this competition translate into affordable, marketable vehicle advancements that make a real difference in the automobiles we buy and drive we will all be winners."
- Carl Pope "The Union of Concerned Scientists and scientists around the world know that global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing us today. Any serious effort to protect our climate must reduce emissions from cars and trucks. Yet for too long, automakers have failed to bring together available technologies that could dramatically reduce global warming pollution. That's why the Union of Concerned Scientists proudly supports the Automotive X PRIZE, which will inspire a new generation of clean and efficient vehicles that will help bring promising technologies to market, create new jobs, can reduce our dependence on oil, and save American consumers billions of dollars." - Union of Concerned Scientists
"Global warming is the single largest threat to wildlife across our nation and the world. The National Wildlife Federation believes that helping wildlife face this challenge first and foremost requires taking steps to reduce global warming pollution. If we can cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 80% by 2050, or just 2% per year, we can dramatically reduce the scope of impacts. Curbing our emissions will require efforts across all sectors of our economy, not least among them the automotive industry. NWF endorses the Automotive X PRIZE as an exciting and innovative way to harness American ingenuity to seek real-world solutions to global warming." - National Wildlife Federation
"The Apollo Alliance endorses the Automotive X PRIZE and its goals of breaking our addiction to oil and stemming the negative effects of climate change by inspiring a new generation of ultra-fuel-efficient vehicles. This grand challenge embodies America's can-do spirit and will help lay the foundation of the new clean energy economy by encouraging innovators and entrepreneurs to develop the energy solutions of tomorrow."
"The Consumer Federation of America supports the Automotive X PRIZE as an effective means to speed up the development of new technology to improve vehicle fuel economy. The Automotive X PRIZE is taking one of our country's most treasured values, competition, and using it to bring about change, protect our pocketbooks, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and bring about a better environment for our children. By serving as a catalyst for American ingenuity, the Automotive X PRIZE will stimulate innovation in vehicle fuel efficiency for the good of America." - Consumer Federation of America "We can go to the moon, but we can't drive to the grocery store in a car that gets over 100 miles per gallon? How did we come to believe that hulking, unsafe, top-heavy vehicles that bow in submission to oil barons and dictators are really the best we can do? The time for action is now, and the Automotive X PRIZE has thrown down the gauntlet. Heroes wanted. The Automotive X PRIZE is perhaps the greatest idea of the century, and the dreamers and inventors among us are about to throw status quo in the trunk and become the brave few that drive toward real answers, not more excuses."
- John Passacantando
"Global Green USA supports the efforts of the Automotive X PRIZE to focus consumer, industry and government attention on the viability and necessity of clean transportation now. The 450 million vehicles on the road today account for half of the world's total consumption, generate nearly one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions, and have pervasive effects on land use, air quality and our health. By inspiring practical, affordable, yet radically cleaner and more efficient vehicle technology, and by educating the public on smart buying and driving behavior, the Automotive X PRIZE can make a huge difference. For the past five years Global Green USA has helped make clean cars cool by taking Oscar nominees to the Academy Awards in fuel efficient hybrids instead of gas guzzling limousines. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of fuel-efficient vehicles currently available, and today's car Manufacturers are not offering the cars that the public is demanding. The Automotive X Prize has the opportunity to inspire real change."
"CALSTART is pleased to endorse the Automotive X PRIZE. Transforming the transportation energy situation is an enormous and essential global endeavor. We’re beginning to see the enormous transportation energy change. The entrepreneurial activity encouraged by the Automotive X PRIZE can help us accelerate the pace of change. We view the Automotive X PRIZE as one of the key tools in the toolkit to move us toward a more economically and environmentally sustainable transportation future. We look forward to working closely with the Automotive X PRIZE and others partners to make this transformation."
- John Boesel
"Environment Now is dedicated to making measurable improvements to our ecosystems. The Automotive X PRIZE is an innovative attempt to leverage competitive enterprise to address the most pressing environmental concern of our time. It is particularly impressive for its thorough visioning of a more sustainable future for the automobile, its use of a model of change that has already been proven to accelerate innovation, and its potential to produce a tangible, effective solution."
- Terry O'Day Individuals
"I was encouraged to learn that eighty percent of the... vehicles are from the U.S. I'm also happy to learn that your plans include an educational component to help generate demand for super-efficient vehicles, while informing the public about the underlying issues. The Progressive Automotive X PRIZE is just the kind of public-private partnership needed to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to help solve the climate crisis." "Your approach is one that will bring out the best from inventors, entrepreneurs, and investors throughout the world--challenging teams to build production-capable vehicles that are both fuel efficient and attractive to consumers. I believe these goals are necessary and achievable. With the prior experience of the X PRIZE Foundation in helping to foster innovation, the Automotive X PRIZE competition will help us take a much needed step forward in the fight to reduce C02 emissions worldwide. I wish you and the competitors my best in achieving your goals."
- The Honorable Al Gore - Jay Leno
"I...offer my praise for your work on developing the Automotive X PRIZE competition in hopes of inspiring a new generation of efficient, clean and viable vehicles. In the fight to stem the effects of climate change and reduce our dependence on oil, I am confident that a multi-million dollar prize for the teams that win a stage race for these efficient and desirable vehicles will help push much-needed progress. California is a world leader in the effort to reduce the harmful emissions, including those from passenger cars, that contribute to global climate change. Efficient vehicle technologies available to California and global consumers will help us go even farther in that all-important work. I commend your efforts and believe that, in meeting the challenge you have set forth, entrepreneurial teams from California and around the world will help to lead us to a more sustainable transportation future while creating jobs and expanding the economy." - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, State of California
"Dear Mr. Renwick -- Congratulations on The Progressive Corporation’s sponsorship of the Automotive X PRIZE. It is quite fitting that an Ohio company would lead this innovative initiative to bring the next generation of automobiles to our roads. The wonderful challenge of the $10,000,000 prize and anticipation of the great automotive races bring a spirit of excitement to the enormous task before us. America cannot wait a year more to develop and realize our potential n the new energy economy. You know that we share your vision of manufacturing based on advanced energy strategies. No state in America is better positioned than Ohio to link a history of automotive manufacturing with emerging of advanced energy technologies." - Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio
- Lee Fisher
"Congratulations for the X PRIZE Foundation’s success in stimulating innovation through competition. Since the 2004 award of the Ansari X PRIZE, I have admired the Foundation’s dedication to engaging the world’s most exciting frontiers, from space flight to super-efficient vehicles. Given the economic, environmental, and national security implications of our continued reliance on foreign oil, I believe your newest competition could not come at a more opportune time." -Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico
"A competition to advance commercially viable, energy efficient and climate friendly vehicles can inspire the discovery of critically needed breakthrough technologies to meet these goals. As Governor of the state that puts the world on wheels, I know that Michigan has the knowledge and know-how to make these innovations a reality, and it is likely that our best and brightest will be well represented at the starting line when the stage race begins. Today, thousands of Michiganders are already focused on bringing breakthrough technologies to showrooms worldwide, and the Automotive X Prize can further stimulate needed innovations to ensure successful deployment of appealing, affordable, efficient and clean vehicles. I commend the X Prize Foundation for establishing another platform to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship, and look forward to hearing more details about the Automotive X Prize as you prepare to formally launch the competition." - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, State of Michigan
"The level of American innovation and entrepreneurship we’re seeing in the Automotive X PRIZE is encouraging... It’s also a positive response to many of the challenges confronting the U.S. auto industry. I applaud these teams for the important work they’re doing for our nation’s energy future." "It will take concerted effort of some of the finest minds in our country to meet the energy and climate challenges we face in the coming decades, and I appreciate your efforts to focus those minds, through this competition, on this important task… Very few people took seriously the possibility of commercial personal space flight before the Ansari X Prize competition was conducted, but its $10 million purse drew hundreds of millions in investments by competitors and a subsequent commitment to commercialize the winning technology. If the Automotive X Prize is able to catalyze a similar level of excitement and ingenuity perhaps we will see that our challenge in this arena is not so daunting after all."
- Jeff Bingaman
"United States national security and economic prosperity demand that we move toward a sustainable energy future…the global trend of foreign governments asserting greater control over oil reserves allows unfriendly regimes to use their energy exports as leverage against the United States and our allies. Establishment of the Automotive X Prize demonstrates remarkable vision and leadership. I am particularly encouraged that development of the prize benefits from insights of a diverse group of government, non-government, university and industry representatives."
- Richard G. Lugar
"We applaud your efforts to address two important issues affecting our country today -- continued
- Sherrod Brown (D) and George V. Voinovich (R)
"I am certain that the Automotive X PRlZE will do even more to inspire a new generation of fuel-efficient cars and further advance the concept of sustainable transportation...please know that I intend for San Francisco to participate in the RFP process and compete to win one of the Host City positions." - Mayor Gavin Newsom, City of San Francisco
"As Mayor of Houston, I congratulate you on the creation of the Automotive X PRIZE, which will inspire a new generation of super-efficient cars. Ensuring that more fuel-efficient vehicles become available to consumers is absolutely critical to Texas, this nation and the world. Perhaps even more than your first X PRIZE which opened space flight, the Automotive X PRIZE will be known in history as the beginning of a new era of sustainable transportation." - Mayor Bill White, City of Houston
"Today, more than ever before, we desperately need leaders to create real climate change solutions. The Automotive X PRIZE is just the sort of brave, innovative solution that can motivate leaders worldwide to cross boundaries and break through the barriers that have prevented super-efficient cars from hitting the market. What is so valuable about the Automotive X PRIZE is their focus on real cars. No one can read my book, Lives Per Gallon, and come away thinking that the car companies will build 100 MPG cars fast enough or without significant pressure. The Automotive X PRIZE is applying focused pressure to create action, make heroes, and give everyone the chance to make a difference by driving 100 MPG vehicles."
- Terry Tamminen
"I really believe that right now, public assumptions about the future are running ahead of some of our policy makers and the mainstream auto industry. The Automotive X PRIZE does have a real opportunity to help the public understand the complexity of energy efficiency and in so doing help them demand more of the manufacturers based on knowledge and logic rather than knee-jerk action."
- Geoff Wardle If your organization would like to offer an endorsement of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, please let us know here. |