Day three wrap-up

Out of the 26 UrbanConcept teams with results listed so far today, the DTU Roadrunners from Denmark were ahead, with the equivalent of 579 km/l. In the plug-in category Lycée de métiers Charles Privat was leading with 251 km/kWh on electric battery.

In the Prototype class with an internal combustion engine, Microjoule from La Joliverie, France, held first place among 72 teams on the scoreboard, with 2,820 km/l. In the plug-in category Lycée Pasquet has achieved 635 km/kWh. The school won the first ever solar category in 2006.

“Shell Eco-marathon is designed to inspire students to find creative solutions to future mobility challenges,” says Niel Golightly, Shell VP Upstream America. “And their innovation inspires us.”

A ray of sunshine

Wind and rain blew through Rotterdam for part of today, affecting drivers’ performance. Cars running on solar are most vulnerable to the elements. “We don’t have a battery so with no sun we won’t move”, says Camila Jakob from Philipp-Matthaus-Haun-Schule, Germany. But for the timebeing their UrbanConcept car was top of the leaderboard, with no results from other solar cars in this class. “We will party tonight!”

The Technical University Sofia, Bulgaria, was also in high spirits. “The track was good, if a little bumpy!” says driver Atanas Kefsizoff. He achieved the equivalent of 172 km/kWh in his UrbanConcept battery electric car, placing his team joint second in their category.

Atanas also found time to visit the inspiration lab, which offers interactive activities around the future of energy on site: “I recovered in a hammock watching films on the ceiling!”

Tomorrow will see the final day of the competition.