Let’s race!

From Toronto to Montreal and back on less than a litre of fuel - seems impossible, but university and high school students, time and time again, make it a reality at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas Challenge.

The Shell Eco-marathon provides an invaluable learning platform, giving teams’ real-life experience on a level that not many will have the opportunity to realize. With annual events in the Americas, Europe and Asia, this global competition challenges students to design, build and test the most energy efficient vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of energy.

In 2014, the eco-team from the University of Toronto (U of T), Supermileage, finished an impressive second place at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas Challenge. In their debut year, Supermileage made history by achieving the highest recorded result for a team new to the competition. Additional recognition was realized as Supermileage was the only team to have designed and built their own engine.

Energized by their success in 2014, Supermileage has gone back to the drawing board to redesign a lighter, faster and more aerodynamically efficient prototype. Weighing less than its driver, the new and improved vehicle, known as UT3, tops the scale at only 47 kg. In 2015, the team hopes their efforts and UT3 will turn a second place finish into first, dethroning the five-time reigning Eco-marathon champions from Université Laval.

“The Supermileage team is a student design group dedicated to the building of a highly fuel efficient vehicle to bring about eco-awareness toward a greener future in energy,” says Mengqi Wang, Team Manager of Supermileage. “Our team believes that engineers should design for the future and that sustainability of energy, among many other resources, is critical for future technology.”

For more than 30 years, the mileage challenge competition has tested future engineers and scientists to develop game-changing solutions, offering students a platform to help shape the future of mobility. 

Ready to join the action?

Students are headed to Detroit, Michigan – the Motor City – to compete April 10-12, 2015. Follow the U of T Supermileage team’s progress as they prepare for competition on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Stay up to date on Eco-marathon results by visiting Shell Eco-marathon.