X Prize announced on Thursday that more than 60 teams from nine countries were ready to race in chasing the $10 million prize the foundation is giving to the manufacturer of the best green supercar ever! The foundation wants the car to be a record breaker when it comes to fuel efficiency and environmental issues.

The X Prize Foundation’s Automotive X Prize competition involves an impressive number of teams, ranging from Cornell University in New York to California-based electric car start-up Tesla Motors.

“We’re not talking about concept cars. […] We’re talking about real cars that can be brought to market,” said the chief executive of the popular X Prize Foundation, Peter Diamandis, with the occasion of the event marking the launch of the contest at the New York auto show.

So, according to Diamandis, it seems that the goal of this competition is to create a commercially viable green car that is hoped to get at least 100 miles to the gallon. In late 2009, the competition’s finals are expected to crisscross the United States in a stage race that will have the purpose to test the cars from many points of view in order to determine a winner.

X Prize Foundation’s competition hasn’t attracted also major automakers, such as Toyota Motor Corp. or General Motors Corp., which have already started developing electric or hybrid vehicles.