The Liberty Motors Team is made up of a small and diverse group of people. We each bring our own unique set of skills and expertise to the project. And even though our individual roles may differ, we are all bound by the same basic goal. Both as a group and as individuals, we are all concerned with the current economical and environmental issues that are caused by the use of highly inefficient vehicles throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
By using such inefficient vehicles, we each add approximately 5.50 metric tons of CO2e into the atmosphere per year. Thereby further contributing to global warming as well as other environmental concerns such as smog and generally poor air quality. Not only are these issues of global concern, but they can impact the lives of individuals as well. From dealing with "unpredictable weather" to increases in problems with asthma and other breathing illnesses, this is of importance to everyone.
We are also concerned about the potential economic problems of using such inefficient technologies. With the long term demand for petroleum products bound to continue to rise and the supply of oil constantly diminishing, it is only a matter of time until it begins to affect the world's economy. Potential problems could range from anything such as skyrocketing fuel costs, fuel rationing, or even conflicts between nations for resources.
Again, this not only has worldwide significance, but could have profound consequences for the individual. In the very least, this could cause hardships for individuals and families as expenses for everyday items would increase due to the higher fuel costs.
It is our belief, that the only way to combat both the economical and environmental issues that we face is to use new technologies to increase the efficiency of vehicles and use new innovative fuel sources when appropriate. It is our hope to be able to demonstrate some of these very technologies to the public.
In that spirit, we have come together to participate in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition. They have made huge strides in raising public awareness about vehicle fuel economy and are encouraging innovation around the world through this competition. We are very proud to be part of this event and encourage everyone to participate in any way that they can. At the end of the day, it does not matter which team gets first place, for it is the public at large who will truly be the winners.