Not Your Average Spring Break – Student Teams From Across the Americas Prepare to Help the World Use Less Fuel
HOUSTON, March 31 /PRNewswire/ — While many “spring breakers” spend their time enjoying some rest and relaxation with fellow students, 38 teams from across the United States, Canada and Mexico are hard at work putting the finishing touches on their high-mileage, fuel-saving prototype vehicles. After months of plotting, planning and pushing the limits, these students are down to the wire as they work to complete their vehicles for the 2008 Shell Eco- marathon(TM) Americas – a global mileage challenge and forum for current and future leaders who are passionate about finding sustainable solutions to the world’s energy challenge.
“We realize the future of transportation ultimately depends on alternative energy sources,” said David Ulrich, student team leader of the Cal Poly team, who set the Shell Eco-marathon Americas record in 2007 with an astonishing 1,902.7 miles per gallon (809 kilometers per litre). “And as an engineering student, being given the opportunity to design and build fuel-efficient vehicles is an important part of gaining practical experience for the future.”
Taking place April 10-12 at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the challenge tests students to design and build eco-friendly vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. From vehicle design to financing, student teams manage their projects from start to finish. The winning team receives a grand prize of US$10,000 dollars for their school.
The 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas roster contains 38 teams from five high schools and 24 universities from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The entries include 28 vehicles powered by combustion engines, six by fuel cell/hydrogen technology, one by diesel fuel, one by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and two by solar power.
The complete 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas roster is: Combustion Engine Entrants: School Location Team Name Vehicle Name Barstow High School Barstow, The Aztecs Team Grease Lighting Calif. II Barstow High School Barstow, Barstow High The Az-Tech Calif. School California San Luis Cal Poly Black Widow Polytechnic State Obispo, Supermileage University Calif. California State Los Angeles, CSULA Super Eagle II University, Calif. Supermileage Los Angeles Cedarville University Cedarville, Yellow Jackets Lightning III Ohio Cedarville University Cedarville, Yellow Jackets Slipstream II Ohio Centennial High Corona County, Huskies The Blur School Calif. Colorado School of Denver, Colo. Ramblin Wreck Peanut Butter Mines Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, G-Rock Spirit of Columbia Technical School Minn. Lamar University Beaumont, Team Havoc Wicked 1 Texas Lamar University Beaumont, Team Full Of It Lamar Prototype Texas Vehicle Louisiana State Baton Rouge, Tiger Racing Chitty Chitty Bang University La. Bang Louisiana Tech Ruston, La. LA Tech Bulldogs De Donderhond University Loyola Marymount Los Angeles, The Lion The Roar University Calif. Mater Dei High School Evansville, Mater Dei 5th Gen Ind. Supermileage Team Mater Dei High School Evansville, Mater Dei 6th Gen Ind. Supermileage Team Northern Arizona Flagstaff, Team SAE@NAU The Hot Pocket University Ariz. Northern Arizona Flagstaff, NAU Efficient Efficient Vehicle University Ariz. Vehicle Rose-Hulman Institute Terre Haute, Rose-Hulman RHEV 74 of Technology Ind. Efficient Vehicles Universidad Nacional Mexico City, Escuderia Puma Puma Azteca Autonoma de Mexico – Mexico Unam Facultad de Ingenieria Universite Laval Laval, Quebec, Alerion PSD 2.2 Canada Supermileage University of British Vancouver, UBC Supermileage UBCST Columbia British Team Columbia University of Berkeley, Cal SMV Papa Bear California, Calif. Berkeley University of Los Angeles, Supermileage The Enterprise California, Los Calif. Angeles University of Santa Barbara, UCSB Gauchos Gaucho 1 California, Calif. Santa Barbara University of Boulder, Colo. Mile High Club F-CAT Colorado, Boulder University of Houston Houston, Texas UH Cougars Red Streak University Of Texas, El Paso, Texas Miner Dilema Chimichanga El Paso Fuel Cell Entrants: School Location Team Name Vehicle Name Lamar University Beaumont, FullThrottle Texas 1602 Los Altos High School Hacienda LAAE A Infusion I Heights, Calif. Los Altos High School Hacienda LAAE B Infusion II Heights, Calif. Los Altos High School Hacienda LAAE C High Voltage Heights, Calif. Penn State University University Penn State HFV Bad to the Bond Park, Pa. University of Victoria Victoria, H2Drive UVic Fuel Cell British Vehicle Columbia Diesel Entrant: School Location Team Name Vehicle Name College of the Eureka, Calif. Diesel Corsair Diesel Corsair Redwoods LPG Entrant: School Location Team Name Vehicle Name Schurr High School Montebello, Spartans Mach 1 Calif. Solar Entrants: School Location Team Name Vehicle Name Centennial High School Corona County, Huskies The Flash Calif. Purdue University West Purdue Solar Pulsar Lafayette, Racing Ind.
To help ensure the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas is a successful event for all the student participants, Shell is pleased to welcome the 2008 event sponsors:
SKF USA Inc. – As one of the leading global suppliers of products, solutions and services in the areas of rolling bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication systems, SKF is providing up to $1,000 in equipment and engineering support for the student teams (http://www.skfusa.com/).
Autodesk – Autodesk, a world leader in design innovation technology, is recognized as a Shell Eco-marathon global sponsor. Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets (http://www.autodesk.com/).
Michelin – Michelin, a sponsor of Shell Eco-marathon in Europe, is providing low-rolling resistance tires for use in the competition and offering them to the student teams at a discounted rate. Michelin is also engaging students to understand how tires effect fuel economy and how the same principles relate their project cars to vehicles in the real-world (http://www.michelinman.com/).
Pennzoil – Pennzoil is providing one quart of Pennzoil Platinum (R) full synthetic motor oil for each student team, along with technical support. The active cleansing agents in Pennzoil Platinum(R) help remove built-up dirt and deposits 3X better than the leading conventional oil*. Pennzoil is the most preferred motor oil brand in America, and its line of quality products meets or exceeds industry specifications to offer exceptional engine protection. (http://www.pennzoil.com/).
With many successful years in Europe, the Shell Eco-marathon came back to the U.S. as the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in April 2007. The Eco-marathon concept started as the Shell Mileage Marathon in 1939 between employees of Shell at a research laboratory in Wood River, Illinois. Today, the Americas event extends to student teams from across North and South America.
In Europe, the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon project will take place May 22-24 at the Nogaro Circuit, France. The 2007 European event attracted teams from 20 countries, with the winning teams hailing from Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway.
For more information on the Shell Eco-marathon Americas, please visit http://www.shell.com/us/ecomarathon.
Shell Oil Company, including its consolidated companies and its share in equity companies, is one of America’s leading oil and natural gas producers, natural gas marketers, gasoline marketers and petrochemical manufacturers. Shell, a leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, is a recognized pioneer in oil and gas exploration and production technology. Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Shell Group, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies, employing approximately 112,000 people and operating in more than 130 countries and territories.
* Based on a severe sludging test using SAE 5W-30. Disclaimer statement
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