An electric-car maker that edged out its competitors in a five-way tiebreaker to win the coveted Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize last month is sharing its $2.5 million award with its runners-up.
The margin of victory for Li-Ion Motors Corp. was less than two-tenths of a second in a 100-mile energy and performance run on a Michigan track in July. That was the tiebreaker used after all five entries achieved an average of at least 100 mpg or the equivalent (all were battery-electric vehicles).
But on the day of the tiebreaker, the leaders of four of the teams signed an agreement that whoever won would share the prize money.
"They all helped each other out," Automotive X Prize spokeswoman Carrie Fox said. "They all realized in helping each other out that it made sense to split the purse. It really speaks to the camaraderie of the competition."
Fox referred further questions to Li-Ion Motors leader Ron Cerven. Attempts to reach Cerven today were unsuccessful.
