Fifty student teams from North and South America? Check. Young engineers bringing innovative thinking to the future of transportation? Check. Prototype vehicles that travel nearly two thousand miles per gallon as part of a global effort to change the way the world uses energy? Check, and check. The Shell Eco-marathon™ Americas may not be the fastest race you’ve ever seen, but it’s probably the most fuel-efficient. In 2008, the stakes are high as student teams prepare their eco-friendly vehicles to drive the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel and break the 1,902.7 miles per gallon record set by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2007. "Shell is working aggressively to help meet the energy challenge head-on and long-term, and we understand the importance of encouraging technology and innovation in the minds of tomorrow’s leaders and engineers," said David Sexton, President of Shell Oil Products U.S. "The Shell Eco-marathon promotes fuel efficiency, and we’re challenging students from North and South America to build environmentally friendly vehicles to inspire future transportation." The 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas will take place April 10-13 at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Student teams manage their projects from start to finish. From vehicle design to financing, students gain practical experience, while applying skills in science, technology, mathematics, business and design. The winning team will receive a grand prize of $10,000 that will be awarded to the team’s educational institution. There are also first-, second- and third-place prizes for vehicles in several fuel categories, including combustion engine, fuel cell/hydrogen and solar.
The challenge is open to students from throughout the Americas. To date, nearly 50 teams have signed up, which is nearly double the entries from the 2007 event and includes teams from Brazil, Canada and the United States.
"The innovation that comes from these students is inspiring," added Sexton. "As Shell continues to aggressively look at new environmentally and socially responsible ways to meet future energy needs, it’s clear some of the biggest contributions to sustainable mobility will come from today’s youth. Programs like the Shell Eco-marathon are an investment in our future." With many successful years in Europe, the Shell Eco-marathon came back to the U.S. as the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in April 2007. The Eco-marathon concept started as the Shell Mileage Marathon in 1939 between employees of Shell at a research laboratory in Wood River, Illinois. Today, the Americas event extends to student teams from across North and South America. In Europe, the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon project will take place May 22-24 at the Nogaro Circuit, France. The 2007 European event attracted teams from 20 countries, with the winning teams hailing from Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway. For more information, please visit  www.shell.com/us/ecomarathon. Interested teams can find the event application, rules, hotline number, history and more. Registration for the 2008 events is open. Shell Oil Company, including its consolidated companies and its share in equity companies, is one of America's leading oil and natural gas producers, natural gas marketers, gasoline marketers and petrochemical manufacturers. Shell, a leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, is a recognized pioneer in oil and gas exploration and production technology. Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Shell Group, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies, employing approximately 112,000 people and operating in more than 130 countries and territories. INQUIRIES: Shell Oil Company, Shell Media Line, +1 (713) 241-4544
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