123 Student Teams To Compete In Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2012

From 4 to 7 July 2012, 123* student teams from 18 countries all over Asia and the Middle East will hit the tracks of Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to compete in the annual Shell Eco-marathon Asia competition. This represents a record number of participating teams from a record number of countries since the event first started in Asia in 2010.  Some of the new countries taking part this year include Korea and Qatar.

This super-mileage challenge, created by Shell, is designed to inspire student innovation and develop future technologies that represent game-changing fuel efficiency and transportation performance. To help meet the growing energy demand and reduce future CO2 emissions, Shell Eco-marathon Asia challenges participants to design, build, and test vehicles to go the farthest distance using the least amount of energy.

Last year’s Shell Eco-marathon Asia winner in the Prototype internal combustion engine category, Luk Jao Mae Khlong Prapa from Thailand, recorded an amazing 2,213.4 kilometers on a litre of fuel – enough to drive from Kuala Lumpur to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. 

Student teams are encouraged to participate in one or both of the “Prototype” and “UrbanConcept” competition classes and this year’s Shell Eco-marathon Asia sees a total of 80 “Prototype” and 43 “UrbanConcept” entries from the region. The “Prototype” category invites student teams to enter futuristic prototypes – streamlined vehicles focused on maximising fuel efficiency through innovative design elements, such as drag reduction. The “UrbanConcept” class focuses 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 roads today.

“We continue to be impressed each year by how the students in this region are constantly outdoing themselves by coming up with clever, innovative designs which aim to break new ground in energy efficiency,” said Ms Mavis Kuek, Shell Eco-marathon Asia Project Manager. “It is encouraging to see so many of our youths taking advantage of the Shell Eco-marathon platform to create innovative urban mobility solutions to meet the energy challenges of tomorrow.”

This year, student teams at Shell Eco-marathon Asia stand to win a total of USD 42,000 in prize money across 28 on-track awards for the “Prototype” and “UrbanConcept” classes.  The first prize of USD 2,000 will be awarded to the winning team in each fuel category listed, followed by the second prize of USD 1,000.  New off-track awards valued at USD 1,000 each are also available for “Eco-Design”, “Best Team Spirit” and “Perseverance in the Face of Adversity”.

The Shell Eco-marathon Asia will be hosted again at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2013, after which the regional event will take place in Manila, Philippines from 2014 to 2016.

For more information on all 2012 Shell Eco-marathon events across the globe, including official rules, instructions for registration and details on prizes, please visit the Shell Eco-marathon website at www.shell.com/ecomarathon. 

*As at June 25, 2012. Full list of teams can be found here.

About Shell Eco-marathon
Shell Eco-marathon began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the United States as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle. The winner of that contest barely achieved 50 mpg (21 km/l), and from these humble origins, a more organized competition evolved. In 1985 in France, Shell Eco-marathon as we know it today was born. In April 2007, Shell Eco-marathon Americas event was launched in the United States, and in 2010, the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia. 

INQUIRIES:

Cindy Lopez
Head, Asia-Pacific Media Relations
+6 012 282 1765

Mich Villar
Shell Spokesperson, Asia-Pacific
+639175366424