The 31st annual running of the Shell Eco-marathon UK ended following tremendous efforts from hundreds of British school children. Sandbach School from Cheshire, UK triumphed with an impressive 2250.5mpg.
For the second year, schools gathered from all over the UK to compete in the Shell Eco-marathon UK ‘Schools Initiative’. There was hot competition between the youngsters to beat their nearest rivals – be it the school from the next town or the one in the pit garage next to them. Sandbach School triumphed in both the Schools Initiative and also the overall Schools Class with an impressive 2,250.5mpg, sufficient to secure a well-deserved 12th overall in their first year. Leon-ardo followed second in the Schools Initiative on 1,321.6mpg, while Hitchingbrooke School rounded out the top three with 1,060.3mpg.
While the action was hot between the schools, there was plenty to see all the way through the field. The best British entry was Team Green, supported by Bath University. Team Green has consistently been the top of the pile in the UK, and this year is no exception as they recorded a figure of 5,958.8mpg. Meanwhile there was also focus on other forms of vehicle propulsion. The GTL (Gas to Liquids) class was won by Economus at 1,618.1mpg, and the LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) class won by Team Callo with 6,504.7mpg.
Taking economy further than simply fuel, the team from Ockenden School in car number 54 displayed fantastic resourcefulness in manufacturing their machine. Recycling materials such as old school desks, the team of school children successfully completed the build for a total of £9.98, making it the lowest-cost competitor in the paddock.
“We just wanted to produce a vehicle using recycled materials” explained Paul Miles, team manager. “Using old desks allowed us to build a strong chassis, and we even used one of the wheels from our dinner ladies’ trolley! Unfortunately we had a few problems today, but the experience, especially for the children, has been fantastic”.
