A number of Philippine student teams finished strong at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia that was recently held for the third and final time in a specially designed street circuit at Rizal Park in Manila, before moving to another host country next year. Four teams from three local universities bested 117 other student teams from 17 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Australia in the prestigious smarter mobility competition.
The De La Salle University (DLSU) Eco-Car Team set the highest record in the Urban Concept – Battery Electric Category with a mileage of 78km/kWh. As a top contender, the team also earned an exclusive invitation to compete in Shell’s first Drivers’ World Championship to be held in London in July.
The Drivers’ World Championship will gather Urban Concept team winners from the regional Shell Eco-marathon competitions in Asia, the Americas and Europe with the challenge to go head-to-head in a traditional racing car format while maintaining fuel efficiency. It is by far one of the most important innovations made in the Shell Eco-marathon program since it began 30 years ago.
“The Shell Eco-marathon Drivers’ World Championship Race marks an important step in the evolution of Shell Eco-marathon and the global drive for energy efficiency, challenging the students to push further than they have before,” said Norman Koch, global technical director at Shell Eco-marathon.
The participation of a Philippine team at the pioneering global racing and smarter mobility event gains significance as 2016 marks the last time that Shell Eco-marathon Asia will be held in Manila, before moving to a new host country for another three years.
Also bagging honors for the country are University of San Carlos–Cebu’s Team Lahutay 4, Mapua Institute of Technology’s Team Aguila and another entrant from De La Salle University–Manila, the DLSU Eco-Car Team I.C.E.
Team Aguila came at second place in the Prototype–Gasoline Category with a mileage of 335km/l of fuel. Team Lahutay 4, on the other hand, ranked third in the Prototype–Diesel Fuel Category with a fuel efficiency of 106km/l. DLSU Eco-Car Team I.C.E. chalked 159km/l and clinched the second spot in the Urban Concept–Gasoline Category.
“We are extremely proud with the Philippine teams’ achievements at Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2016,” said Lyndon Lumain, project manager at Shell Eco-marathon Asia. “The increasing awareness and, most importantly, engagement of young Filipino engineers affirms that our country has secured a rightful place in the global map of energy efficiency and sustainable mobility.”