David Brancaccio, a longtime national business journalist and host and senior editor of NOW on PBS, visited Western’s Vehicle Research Institute Wednesday to videotape a feature on Western’s Vehicle Research Institute (VRI) team that completed a dramatic run all the way to the last days of competition in the finals of the Progressive Automotive X Prize.

More than a hundred well-wishers showed up to congratulate the Western Washington University X PRIZE Team during a recognition ceremony on campus Thursday, Aug. 5. Team members, recently returned from the finals of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition at Michigan International Speedway, were at the event along with their car, Viking 45.

During the finals of the contest, Viking 45 achieved the equivalent of more than 110 miles per gallon with ultra-low emissions. WWU finished in the Top 10 of more than 130 cars that started the competition.

The Vehicle Research Institute (VRI) team from Western Washington University that just completed a dramatic run all the way to the last days of competition in the finals of the $10 Million Progressive Automotive X-Prize will arrive back in Bellingham this week in time for a celebration event at noon on Thursday, Aug. 5, at the PAC Plaza on the WWU campus.

The team from Western Washington University is officially out of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition, having been unsuccessful at completing the accident avoidance maneuver and 60 mph-to-0 mph braking event during the dynamic safety trials on Monday, July 26, at Michigan International Speedway.

"This is difficult for us, because we were able to complete both of these events just a couple of weeks ago during the knockout phase," said Eric Leonhardt, director of WWU's Vehicle Research Institute.

The Western Washington University X PRIZE Team is one of just nine teams to successfully complete all of the efficiency and range trials in the first week of the finals at the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition.

The team from WWU's Vehicle Research Institute will compete in the dynamic safety events today and will conclude the on-track portion of the finals with a combined efficiency and performance event on Tuesday.

It's official: Western Washington University is advancing to the second week of the finals of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition. The WWU team advanced after meeting the minimum miles-per-gallon equivalency and maximum emissions while also completing the 100-mile range requirement.

The team's MPGe after penalties was roughly 97, well above the minimum 90 required to advance, said Eric Leonhardt, director of Western's Vehicle Research Institute and leader of the WWU X PRIZE Team.