The Make the Future Live Malaysia 2019 was officially launched yesterday at the Sepang International Circuit and at the centre of it all lies the 10th Shell Eco-marathon Asia endurance race.
Over 100 students from 18 countries (Asia Pacific and Middle East) will compete on which vehicle can travel the furthest while using the least amount of energy.
The Shell Eco-marathon is a global program (and one of the world’s longest-running student competitions) that challenges students and educational institutions to design, build, and compete ultra-energy-efficient cars.
According to Datuk Iain Lo, Chairman of Shell Malaysia, “This year, Shell Eco-marathon has returned to Malaysia to celebrate a decade of competition between Asian universities. Each year, we see an increase in innovations in vehicle design, in fuel efficiency performance, as well as in participant team spirit. The flag-off that kick-started Shell Eco-marathon Asia today will not just start the competition but also signals the beginning of many journeys of discovery in cleaner energy.”
The 10th Shell Eco-marathon Asia competition is divided into two different categories; Prototype (futuristic and highly aerodynamic vehicles) and UrbanConcept (vehicles that resemble cars of the present).
Three sub-categories are branched out based on the team’s choice of energy source; Internal Combustion Engine (Gasoline, Diesel, Ethanol), Hydrogen Fuel Cell, and Battery Electric Power.
Vehicles must pass a detailed technical inspection before they are allowed onto the track to see how far they can go on the least amount of fuel. As of today, over 45 student teams have passed the technical inspection of which three are from Malaysia.
Thursday (2 May 2019) will mark the end of the competition during the Shell Eco-marathon Drivers’ World Championship Qualifier where the best UrbanConcept teams in the region will compete for their place in the Drivers’ World Championship in London in July.
In addition, a small number of Shell Eco-marathon student teams are taking part in the development of a potential global category for the future. The Shell Eco-marathon UrbanConcept Autonomous Category continues to be developed with students, academics and businesses to build a category that can provide a challenging competitive arena for students to test their ideas and skills.
In Asia, teams will exhibit their UrbanConcept car in autonomous mode at Make the Future Live Malaysia. The driver will demonstrate their car moving along a stretch of track without their hands or feet controlling the vehicle. More details about the developing category will be available in due course.
For more information on Make the Future Live Malaysia and Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2019, head over to www.shell.my/makethefuture.
