X-Prize: What it's like to lose

When we last talked to Kevin Smith, the team leader/engineer of Illuminati Motor Works, he was confident that his team's all-electric vehicle, the long-tailed Seven, was going to do all right in the Knockout Stage of the Automotive X-Prize, perhaps with the help of Voodoo Steve. Well, things didn't work out the way Smith hoped. Luckily, for those of us who want to know what it's like to compete, especially when you don't have a lot of money but a lot of heart and a big idea for cleaner cars, video blogger Damien Somerset talked with Smith about the reasons the group's car was eliminated from competition. The main problem was the Suzuki transmission that Smith bought for $250 and that couldn't hold up to the stress of the 0-60 miles per hour test. Watch the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

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