The weekend of Make the Future Singapore saw the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2017 come to an exciting close. Competing with highly innovative vehicles resembling modern cars, 123 teams from across the region battled it out to go the furthest on the least amount of energy.

Applying electric batteries in their designs and widening energy sources for the first time, team LH-EST from the Lac Hong University clinched top spot in the UrbanConcept competition (electric battery category) with an all-time high winning result of 107.8km / kWh.

Team Dagisik UP from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, was runner-up, with 106.6km / kWh. 

This is the third consecutive year the Dong Nai province - based University has taken home top honors in the UrbanConcept competition, setting a new record in their energy class.

Competing in the Prototype (gasoline) category, which is the most competitive category, team HaUI AUTO from the Hanoi University of Industry earned fifth spot with a mileage of 783km / liter, followed by team CKD.FA from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education with 766km / liter.

“Teams participating in this year’s Shell Eco-Marathon brought significant improvements to their vehicles in comparison with the previous year, as shown by their better-designed cars and more innovative technical applications,” said Mr. Le Phuong Phong, Leader of Team LH-EST.

He added that the purpose-designed track for this year’s competition gave drivers and vehicles a more realistic challenge in urban driving by mixing straights and turns.

Winning was an amazing achievement for all involved, motivating them to keep innovating technical and creative factors to earn a place in the Drivers’ World Championship Grand Final in London.

Proud of Vietnam’s achievement in this year’s competition, Mr. Tran Hong Van, General Manager of Shell Vietnam, said: “Vietnamese teams’ accomplishments in this year’s competition have demonstrated the creativity of Vietnam’s young generations in bringing bright energy ideas into reality for the country to keep pace with the region towards a low-carbon future. 

Furthermore, from being giving the opportunity to compete with strong teams from the region, I believe the students have equipped themselves with the knowledge and soft skills needed to advance in their careers.”

They will now prepare to face the best three teams from both the Americas and Europe to be crowned overall Grand Final champion and earn a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the home of Scuderia Ferrari.

Vietnam had nine student teams from seven universities competing at Shell Eco-Marathon this year. 2017 marked a significant advance, with two teams from Vietnam applying electric batteries in their designs and widening energy sources.

Vietnam has generated a significant track record since joining the Shell Eco-Marathon, with team LH - Gold Energy from Lac Hong University winning consecutive first prizes for UrbanConcept (alternative fuel category) in 2015 and 2016, team CKD - MIN10 from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education taking third place in UrbanConcept (gasoline category) in 2016, and team HaIU AUTO from the Hanoi University of Industry placing third in the Prototype (gasoline) category in 2016.

About Shell Eco-marathon

The Shell Eco-Marathon is a unique, global competition that challenges students to push the boundaries of energy efficiency on the road. 

There are three Shell Eco-Marathon competitions held throughout the year, in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. 

The competition provides an arena for students to test vehicles they design and build themselves and aims to inspire young people to become the scientists and engineers of the future.

Shell Eco-Marathon began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the US as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle. In 1985 in France, the Shell Eco-Marathon as it is known today was born. 

In April 2007, the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas event was launched in the US, and in 2010 the inaugural Shell Eco-Marathon Asia was held in Malaysia, where it stayed until 2013. 

The event was held in Manila, the Philippines, from 2014 to 2016 and this year moved to Singapore as part of the Make the Future festival.

VN Economic Times