A team from Lynchburg won $5 million and top honors today for their “Very Light Car” – an 840 lb, 102 mpg entry in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize Competition.

The X Prize competition aims to encourage the development of technology for very fuel-efficient cars. The Edison2 team, spearheaded by entrepreneur Oliver Kuttner and headquartered in Central VA, won the “mainstream” category of the competition with the Very Light Car. They redeveloped several aspects of traditional car parts and hope to work with the auto industry to integrate aspects of their design into consumer-friendly, mass-produced cars.

Senator Warner visited Edison2’s headquarters in Lynchburg during a recent trip, and delivered congratulatory remarks at the ceremony today. He praised Kuttner and his team for their innovative thinking and hard work.

“Edison2’s innovations really represent a home run -- not just for Virginia, but for the whole country,” Senator Warner said at today’s announcement.

“Oliver and his team already have started thinking and planning ways to ‘scale-up,’ and that’s an example of the technological know-how, entrepreneurship and the drive for innovation that will help turn America’s economy around.”

“We need to get back to an innovation and growth agenda in our country – and one way we can do that is by supporting these kinds of efforts. That’s why I joined Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas earlier this summer in successfully amending the America COMPETES legislation. Our amendment authorizes federal agencies to establish prize competitions like this one to stimulate innovation, and we’re hopeful we’ll see Senate action on America COMPETES before the end of the year,” Senator Warner said.

“It is clear that competitions such as the X-Prize help to attract a wide range of talent and energize entrepreneurs and inventors to create new technologies and products,” the Senator said.

“Again, I congratulate Edison2 on their effort and today’s achievement.”