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Journalists are supposed to be objective, but we've got to admit we were rooting in a big way for the students from West Philadelphia High School's automotive program as they muscled their way past 90 other competitors - mostly university and professional teams - in the $10 million Progressive Automotive X-Prize challenge to show a workable 100-mile-per-gallon automobile.



But both of the West Philly Hybrid X Team entries, an exotic diesel-electric spots car (left) and a plug-in biofuel-electric hybrid sedan, were disqualified during last weeks "knockout" round of the competition in which the final 21 teams were required to show that their vehicles could deliver at least two-thirds of the required fuel economy, or the equivalent of 67 miles per gasoline-gallon (equivalent because most of the entries use alternative fuels or augment gasoline with electrical power).


The team's sports car hit 64 mpg-equivalent, nothing to be ashamed of, and the Ford Focus sedan the students converted to a plug-in hybrid that combined an electric drive system with an 80-horsepower Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine capable of running on gas or biobutanol, hit 65.1 mpg-equivalent, missing the mark by just 1.9 mpg. 


We profiled the team last week and pointed out then that no matter what happened, the students and instructors from the inner-city school had already proven themselves winners - not only for making it so far in the X-Prize competition but for the far-more more important improvements in academic and personal achievement that team membership has brought.


Still, losing hurts and as team manager Ann Cohen spells out in a heart-felt entry on the team's Website, the disqualifications brought tears - especially as the Focus, entered in the X-Prize's "mainstream' division, was hurt by an inefficient charging system rather than lack of performance.


But the experience didn't end on the test track at Michigan International Speedway.


"We're not done yet," Cohen wrote in her Web entry.


"Maybe we'll drive the cars to Washington. We'd like to meet the President. Then again, maybe we'll go to the Salt Flats and break the land speed record for hybrids. We also have to build a school and continue to fight for good jobs and a clean environment. And can someone please send us information on the Lunar X Prize."


Whatever they decide to do, we're sure they'll do it very well.


John O'Dell, Senior Editor
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Photo courtesy of West Philadelphia High School

Tags: Biofuels, Diesel, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Hybrid X Team, Progressive Automotive X Prize, West Philadelphia high School

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High School Team Ends Run At Automotive X-Prize as Both Entries Fall Short was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.