Why do I love my car?
1.) I like the fact that my car contributes significantly less CO2 in the air than my other car did. Why? Because I as well as other people I like breathe air, and I’d just assume keep it clean.
2.) I am saddened by the political landscape in the Middle East and other regions dominated by oil. Oil is a capital-rich, labor poor industry, which often presents a ripe breeding ground for corruption. By driving a car that gets 45 miles to the gallon average, I am helping reduce the demand for oil. America should be free of this addiction once and for all.
3.) It’s very cheap to fill up. $20 can fill the tank.
4.) It drives well and has a very nice fit and finish.

Toyota puts a meter on the dash that shows how many miles you are getting per gallon. It feels like a video game when you try to reduce it, and I like the notion that they reward drivers for responsible behavior.

Joshua Baer claims he’ll never drive another gas powered vehicle again. I don’t blame him one bit. Once you realize how enjoyable it is to drive a battery powered car, you’ll wonder why more vehicles don’t use one.

Anyway, not trying to be a smug hippie here. I just really dig my new (to me) car.

After working at BMW for two years, I became very appreciative and spoiled with good handling and acceleration. Acceleration and handling don’t just make a car more fun to drive–they can help smart drivers avoid accidents (note the word “smart”). As much as I want an uber fuel efficient car, I cannot justify the extra expense of a Prius or even the upcoming Smart Car given their lack of ability to both accelerate and handle on par with their less fuel efficient counterparts. Think I’m being harsh? Watch how the taller shapes of these vehicles affect how they handle in this Top Gear clip.

Fortunately, the X Prize Foundation is offering 10 million dollars to the winner of the Automotive X Prize. How do you win the Automotive X Prize? Build a 100-mpg machine that wins a race against other green vehicles. According to Eric Hagerman’s article in Wired, the rules, which will be finalized later this year, have three broad components: efficiency (cars must get at least 100 miles per gallon); emissions (cars must produce less than 200 grams of greenhouse gases per mile); and economic viability (mass production of the cars has to be feasible, and the company has to have a plan to make 10,000 a year). It’s this last point — that a winning vehicle has to be safe, comfortable, and ready to be mass-manufactured at a reasonable cost — that will separate the fantasy-mobiles from those that could actually be put into production and sold for a profit.

Do you have what it takes to create a car that solves America’s addiction to oil? Are you not that cool, but just want to know more? Read more about this contest by visiting the X Prize Site.