"Radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity."

Automotive X PRIZE Advisory Team

Gale discussing competition guidelines
with team members

"The Automotive X PRIZE competition will focus on tangible results - the creation of practical, clean and super-efficient vehicles that people want to buy."

Gale Banks Joins the X PRIZE Team

Gale has long been regarded as an authority on anything automotive related. Got a question on turbochargers? Ask the man who's name is practically synonymous with turbo. Want to know what the future holds for diesel? Go to the man who's been shaping the face of diesel for decades.

That's why the X PRIZE Foundation looked to Gale for advice on laying down the rules and guidelines for the Automotive X PRIZE. Along with a team of fellow performance enthusiast, scientist and government officials, Gale is playing a part in determining the goals of the competition as well as establishing the prize structure.

Read on for an excerpt from the X PRIZE website:

Revolution Through Competition

The Automotive X PRIZE is the latest effort from the X PRIZE Foundation. Our mission is to bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. Our strategy for fostering innovation is unique. Rather than awarding money to honor past achievements or directly funding research, the X PRIZE Foundation creates high profile competitions that attract and motivate creative solutions to the grand challenges of our time. The efficiency of an X PRIZE attracts both traditional entrepreneurs and maverick thinkers to compete outside the limitations of government and corporate bureaucracy.

The current system does build advanced concept cars. Some existing competitions showcase extraordinary feats of fuel economy. Unfortunately, neither result in practical solutions accessible to consumers. The Automotive X PRIZE competition will focus on tangible results - the creation of practical, clean and super-efficient vehicles that people want to buy.

Because today's oil consumption is unsustainable, endangering our health and the economic, political and social stability of the world (40% of world oil output fuels the automotive industry).

To read more about Gale's role as an advisor, click here.

Bonus Article!
IEEE Spectrum sits in on energy equivalence debates—with millions of dollars for a "100 mpg car" riding on the results

Learn more about the X PRIZE Foundation