Students from all across Asia and the Middle East arrived in Manila to tackle a street circuit in the heart of Manila, Philippines, with the fuel efficient vehicles they designed and built. The 109 student teams are here to compete in the fifth edition of Shell’s annual Shell Eco-marathon Asia.
This will be the first year Shell Eco-marathon Asia takes place in Manila, having previously been held at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The new urban setting is designed to test the boundaries of fuel efficiency in a real world environment. Success is not measured by speed but by who can drive farthest on a litre of fuel.
Competing on home soil are 15 teams from the Philippines’ top engineering schools. They will be racing alongside students from universities, colleges and technical institutes across 15 countries; including Egypt - who are fielding two teams to compete for the first time.
“We are very excited to be hosting the Shell Eco-marathon Asia in the Philippines. As you know, this will be the first time that the competition will be held in an urban circuit, giving students a chance to apply their technical knowledge to creating vehicles that can run in a real world setting.” said Roberto Kanapi, Vice President for Communications of Shell Philippines “The student participation from, not just the Philippines but the whole of Asia and the Middle East, is overwhelming. I am delighted to see the next generations willingness and commitment to finding solutions to the world’s current and future energy requirements.”
Student teams may participate in the Prototype or UrbanConcept vehicle categories of the competition. The Prototype category will see student teams entering cars of the future – streamlined vehicles focused on maximising fuel-efficiency through innovative design elements, such as drag reduction. The UrbanConcept category will focus on more “roadworthy” fuel-efficient vehicles. Aimed at meeting the real-life needs of drivers – these vehicles are closer in appearance to the higher-mileage cars seen on the roads today. A total of 71 Prototype and 38 UrbanConcept vehicles have been entered for this year’s competition.
“I feel really proud, seeing our vehicle and the other team’s vehicles, because I believe there’s a lot of potential” said Rafael Mina, Team Manager of the DLSU Prototype Eco-Car Team – Philippines “What makes our vehicle unique are the solar panels and the aerodynamic design. For us, it’s form over function. We wanted to make a vehicle that works well but looks good at the same time.”
For both Prototype and UrbanConcept categories, teams may enter vehicles using any of the following energy types: gasoline, diesel, alternative gasoline (ethanol 100), alternative diesel (Shell Gas-to-Liquid or fatty acid methyl ester), battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell. Results for the electrically powered vehicles are expressed in km per kilowatt hour (km/kWh) and in km per litre (km/l) for the other energy types. Students will have the freedom to exercise their creativity in technical and design aspects, with the condition that all vehicles entered meet specific safety rules.
Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2014 will see 24 On-Track awards with prize money of $2000 and $1000 for Winners and Runners up in both Prototype and UrbanConcept categories. In addition, teams will also be vying for six Off-Track awards: Communications, Vehicle Design, Technical Innovation, Safety, Perseverance and Spirit of the Event and Shell Helix Tribology Award. The Shell Helix Tribology Award is an off-track award that recognises student teams that demonstrate the use of lubrication engineering principles to improve the fuel efficiency result of their vehicles.
The Shell Eco-marathon flag-off ceremony will be held on February 7 in Luneta while the closing ceremony and awards presentation will be held on February 9 at the Fiesta Pavilion of Manila Hotel.
In addition to the on-track action, members of the public will also have the chance to experience the Shell Energy Lab, a captivating and educational adventure that explores the future of energy, technology and mobility. Interactive displays and activities will challenge visitors to think differently about the future of energy and the growing demands placed on the worlds resources.
Shell Eco-marathon has four Global Partners:
- HP: Official Global Information Technology (IT) Partner
- Michelin: Official Global Paddock Partner and Tyre Supplier
- The Linde Group: Official Global Paddock Partner
- Southwest Research Institute: Official Global Paddock Partner
- Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2014 is held in partnership with the Philippine Government: Department of Tourism, Department of Energy and the City of Manila. Private sector partners are Unilever Philippines, Solane, Coca-Cola, Globe, Lego and Hyundai.
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