Shell Eco-Marathon Americas Celebrates Tenth Edition Of Ultimate Energy Efficiency Challenge

Houston – Shell Eco-marathon Americas will return to the Motor City for its tenth edition April 22-24, 2016. Registration is now open for high school and university students from across the Americas to showcase their passion for technological innovation and energy efficiency on the streets of downtown Detroit. The challenge: design and build a vehicle that goes the farthest on the least amount of energy. Student teams are aiming to beat the current Americas record of 3,587 miles per gallon equivalent.

Interested educators, students and teams are invited to sign-up for the Shell Eco-marathon 2016 mileage challenge until November 16, 2015, and help push the boundaries of energy efficiency. For more information on the 2016 event, including vehicle class requirements, official rules, prizing and to register a team online, please visit the Shell Eco-marathon Americas participant site at www.shell.com/semamericas.

“Building the car allowed me to learn a lot about the process of engineering…and then it also allowed me to start thinking in that mind set of how do you create something from scratch, how do you start with nothing and come up with a design,” says former team member of Granite Falls High School and 2015 MIT Civil Engineering graduate, Shante Stowell.

Over the past nine editions, Shell Eco-marathon Americas has grown from just 19 teams in 2007 in Fontana, California to 113 teams this past April in Detroit, Michigan. Six of those original nineteen teams continue to push the boundaries of energy efficiency and most recently participated in the April competition. In 2007, student teams only had a choice of three energy sources to power their vehicles. Today, students choose from seven energy sources with traditional options like gasoline and diesel and some that OEMs are exploring for consumer transport alternatives as well: hydrogen, electricity, ethanol, Gas-to-Liquid (GTL), and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Besides being an academic engineering competition and an opportunity to learn about energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and innovation, Shell Eco-marathon Americas inspires thousands of students, fosters their creativity and encourages technical innovation to address the energy challenges the world faces today and tomorrow. With technology constantly evolving, the foundational STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills students learn and apply by being a part of Shell Eco-marathon – from designing their vehicle’s initial concept, building their innovative designs, to ultimately aiming to drive the farthest with the least energy to win – also prepares students for the world beyond their desks. 

“Shell Eco-marathon can equip students with valuable, practical hands-on experience and prepares them to be the next generation of automotive innovators,” remarked Shell Eco-marathon Americas Technical Director Adrian Juergens.

Taking place April 22-24, the 2016 challenge is already shaping up with more than 20 teams pre-registered from schools in Michigan, California, Indiana, Missouri, Texas, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela and more. The festival-like weekend in Detroit will also feature a free, family-friendly interactive experience inside Cobo Center for the general public.

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About Shell Eco-marathon

Shell Eco-marathon is a global program that challenges high school and college student teams to design, build and test the most energy-efficient vehicles. With annual events in the Americas, Europe and Asia, this innovation competition pushes future scientists and engineers to travel the farthest distance using the least amount of energy. Shell Eco-marathon Americas 2016 will take place April 22nd-24th on the streets of Downtown Detroit and is free and open to the public. Visit www.shell.com/semamericas to register a team or learn more about being a part of the student competition and www.shellecomarathon.us to learn more about this free, family-friendly weekend at Cobo Center.

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