Resident to head Progressive program

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize has named Huntington Beach resident Eric Cahill as its senior director.

Progressive’s X Prize is a $10-million global competition to create a new clean, consumer-ready vehicle that will exceed 100 miles per gallon.

The nonprofit X Prize Foundation creates public competitions, which are sponsored by various corporations, to create better technology that can be used by all of humanity.

A previous competition by the foundation saw a team backed by Microsoft’s Paul Allen create the world’s first private suborbital spaceship.

Other current X Prize competitions include the $10-million Archon X Prize for Genomics and the $30-million Google Lunar X Prize.

Cahill, a Navy veteran who also has a background in hybrid technology and alternative energy, will lead the Progressive X Prize team, based in Playa Vista.

“The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize is a groundbreaking opportunity for designers and developers of all levels to compete on a neutral and equitable field,” Cahill said in a release. “I am thrilled to be able to work with talented teams across the nation and the world, from high school students to established car companies, creating clean, super-efficient vehicles that are ready to meet the demands of the market today.”

For more information, visit progressiveautoxprize.org.

— Candice Baker