The year is 2020 A.D. . .

The City Berkeley is now a maximum security statist dystopia . . .
Cars are illegal . . .
Petroleum is a controlled substance . . .
Now, geeks and gearheads unite to . . .

Escape from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary)

“Escape from Berkeley” is a road rally of alternatively powered vehicles from Berkeley, California, USA to the Mexican Border. Part engineering problem, part artistic opportunity, the rally challenges contestants to start their “engines” on something other than petroleum based fuel, and by any means necessary, cause their “vehicles” show up at the border four days later – using only fuels/power/motive force scavenged “for free” along the route.

All types of vehicles are welcome. All schemes for non-petroleum based transport are encouraged. In short, everything is permitted– just as long as your “fuel” is from a non-petroleum based source, your acquisition of “it” does not require money, and you start the race with no more than 10kwh of “it” on board.

The full field of power generation and conversion is open for your pleasurable scavenging and creative hacking– biomass gasifiers, WVO, steam, on board fermentation stills, fast starch anaerobic digesters, solar, pneumatic, creek side hydro and lots of batteries, tesla free energy vortexes, cold fusion, humans, hamsters, etc etc etc.

Want to test out your 40% efficiency triple junction PV cell covered Prius? Or maybe see if your steam cracking anaerobic digester hydrogen producer can keep up with the intake of your fuel cell Honda Civic prototype? We welcome you to join us- and risk getting beat by a young punk on a rat bike, running on granulated McDonald’s napkins and hair spray.

DARPA had a Grand Challenge. . . the rednecks a Cannonball Run. . . and the hippies a bunch of WVO buses broken down on the side of the road. Now, NASA scientists and junkyard fabricators go head-to-head in a no holds barred battle of engineering prowess and creative excess. Hanging somewhat in the balance, are bragging rights for saving the world.

That, and a grand prize of $10,000.

Schedule:

• Day 1 – Parkfield, California, the Earthquake capital of the world and where DVRoger’s All Shook Up was last seen.
• Day 2 – El Mirage dry lake famous for many things, included landspeed trials.
• Day 3 – Salton Sea, California State Recreation Area, this is one of the world’s largest inland seas, created by accident in 1905.
• Day 4 – The Border!

It is time, tinkerers, go to your garages, shops, warehouses, barns, or containers and start building, NOW! October is just around the corner and we have some serious racing to do.

Special awards for exceptional efforts in the realms of:

- Most difficult engineering problem attempted
- Most energy conversion steps between source and road
- Worst idea actually made to kind of work
- Sexiest vehicle on the road
- Worst affront to sensible automotive aesthetics
- Smallest GHG footprint between Berkeley and Vegas

“Some entries will arrive at the start line with extreme technical innovation. Others will arrive with only creative excess.
The best entries, as well as the likely winners, will need to arrive with both.”

A production of The Shipyard and ALL Power Labs.

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