Shell Eco-marathon caps successful festival weekend

The Student Engineer

A French vehicle using CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) took top prize in the Prototype category at the Shell Eco-marathon Europe, capping off a successful Make the Future London festival.

The H2.Zero , #612, a hydrogen UrbanConcept racing for team Green Team Twente from University Of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands on the track during Make the Future London 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Sunday, July 3, 2016 in London, UK. Today marks the conclusion of the very first Drivers' World Championships, as a head to head race against the 2016 UrbanConcept winners from North America, Asia and Europe to find the quickest and most energy-efficient driver. (Chris Ison for Shell)
The H2.Zero , #612, a hydrogen UrbanConcept racing for team Green Team Twente from University Of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands. (Credit: Chris Ison for Shell)

Held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, this marked the first time the Shell-sponsored endurance event had come to the UK. Over 200 student teams from 29 countries around the world came to the capital, pushing their vehicles to the limit on the specially designed 2.2km urban track to see how far their vehicles could travel on one litre of fuel.

“The 2016 track has been particularly challenging for all teams and we have seen an incredibly high standard of performance, as well as the determination and team spirit of champions,” said Norman Koch, global technical director for Shell Eco-marathon.

The HUGO, #332, a battery electric prototype racing for team DE MFK TEAM from University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary on the track during Make the Future London 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Sunday, July 3, 2016 in London, UK. (Chris Ison for Shell)
The HUGO, #332, a battery electric prototype racing for team DE MFK TEAM from University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary (Credit: Chris Ison for Shell)

Microjoule-La Joliverie from France broke the CNG record, travelling 2,606.4 km using the equivalent of just one litre of fuel in the Prototype category. Lycee Louis Delage, also from France, won the UrbanConcept Europe category, completing 445.7km on a single litre of petrol.

As European champions, Lycee Louis Delage then went on to compete against the corresponding winners from Asia and North America in the Eco-marathon’s first ever Drivers’ World Championship, but were beaten to the title by Universitas Pendidikan from Indonesia. As part of their prize, the Indonesian team will now enjoy a week’s training in Maranello, Italy, where they will receive tips from the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team.

The IDRA, #206, a hydrogen prototype racing for team H2politO - molecole da corsa from Politecnico Di Torino, Italy, races on the track during day two of Make the Future London 2016 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Thursday, June 30, 2016 in London, UK. (James Cannon for Shell)
The IDRA, #206, a hydrogen prototype racing for team H2politO - molecole da corsa from Politecnico Di Torino, Italy. (Credit: James Cannon for Shell)

“It’s been an honour to host Make the Future London, featuring Shell Eco-marathon Europe in the UK for the first time,” said Shell UK chairman Erik Bonino.

“Showcasing some of the brightest energy ideas and supporting entrepreneurship is an essential part of the journey to a low-carbon future.”