It’s only a matter of time. Fossil fuel reserves on our planet are limited. It also takes a few hundred million years or so for them to form. Since the industrial revolution about 200 years ago, we have consumed a fantastic amount of them and left a severe impact on our planet. It only makes sense then, to make the technologies we have at our disposal more efficient while looking for alternative, sustainable sources of energy. In that spirit, Shell, a multinational energy company, started the Shell Eco-marathon in 1985. It is a unique mileage challenge which encourages students from around the world to design, build and drive ultra-efficient cars. The three annual events in Asia, Americas, and Europe are attended by students from around the world. And the achievements these enthusiastic student scientists and engineers have managed are quite exciting.
The competition officially has two categories. One is the 'Prototype' category where futuristic, streamlined vehicles are built with the primary consideration of reducing drag and maximising efficiency. The other is the 'UrbanConcept' category, where four-wheeled cars are built similar to road-worthy standards. They must meet a series of roadworthiness criteria like modern passenger vehicles, such as having head- and tail lights, doors, a steering wheel, windscreen wipers, etc. This category was introduced in 2003 to broaden the challenge. The aim was to get students to develop fuel-efficient solutions which can be applied to road cars today.
Ved Janve
Vishal Venugopal
