Zap finalist for $10 million prize

<p>An electric car from Santa Rosa's Zap Inc. is among nine finalist vehicles competing for a $10 million automotive X Prize for fuel efficiency.</p><p>Zap's three-wheeled, battery electric-powered Alias model competed Tuesday in tests at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.</p><p>The Alias will go on sale next year for about $35,000, said Zap founder Gary Starr.</p><p>The X Prize, sponsored by Progressive Insurance, will be announced in September in Washington, D.C.</p><p>The competition started with 136 vehicles and has been narrowed to nine through a three-month series of tests.</p><p>"It's been pretty grueling. They really put these cars through their paces," said Starr.</p><p>Other finalist teams are from San Diego, Virginia, North Carolina, Germany, Switzerland and Finland.</p><p>The competition is designed for production-capable vehicles that achieve 100 miles per gallon of fuel or equivalent efficiency. It also considers performance, emissions and other factors.</p><p>— Steve Hart</p>