Shell Eco-marathon ends; Indonesia, Malaysia top winners

MANILA, Philippines—On to the checkered flag!

Countless kilometers were driven and 29 trophies were given in the closure of the three-day racing event of the Shell Eco-marathon 2014 Sunday evening in Manila.

Indonesia and Malaysia drove away with the best first place finishes in the competition with four and three top prizes respectively.

Indonesia were in pole position with seven trophies, Thailand with five, Malaysia with four, China and Singapore with two apiece, and the Philippines and Qatar with one.

Of the 29 trophies given, two were given for a single prize.

The Perseverance and Spirit of the Event, one of the awards of the Off-Track category, were given to the MIT Eco-Warriors of Madras Institute of Technology from India and the DLSU  Eco Car Team-Electric of the De La Salle University from the Philippines.

The award was given to the two teams as they displayed generosity under the clouds of competition.

DLSU gave the car that they used in the race’s installment of the previous year to the MIT Eco-Warriors after the latter’s car was held at the customs office of Singapore days before the event.

“We wanted to stage an event where it would not only be fun and competitive but also safe for everybody,” Lydon Lumain, Shell Eco-marathon Philippines project manager, said after the awarding ceremony at the Manila Hotel.

The competition had two major categories depending on the cars used, “Urban Concept” and “Prototype,” with each category having six subcategories depending on the fuel used.

Apart from the racing awards, there were five Off-Track awards for those teams that displayed excellence off the race track.

The winners for the “Prototype” category are as follows (Country, school, team name):

Hydrogen

1st Place: Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam, UiTM Eco-Sprint

2nd Place: Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM 2 Car Fuel Cell

Battery Electric

1st place: Thailand, Rattanakosin Technological College, Rattanokasin Technological College

2nd place: China, Guangzhou College of South China University of Technology, Huaqi EV Team

Petrol (gasoline) Fuel

1st place: Thailand, Sakon Nakhon Technical College, Virgin

2nd place: Thailand, Kong Thabbok Upatham Changkol Kho So Tho Bo School, ATE.1

Diesel Fuel

1st place: China, Tongji University, Zeal Eco-power Diesel

2nd place: Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, NTU Diesel Car Racing Team

Alternative Petrol (gasoline) Fuel

1st place: Thailand, Panjavidhya Technological College, How Much Ethanol

2nd place: Thailand, Dhurakji Pundit University, Luk Jao Mae Khlong Prapa

Alternative Diesel Fuel

1st place: Malaysia, Monash University, Malaysia, Team Monash 2

2nd place: Qatar, Qatar University, Gernas

The winners for the “Urban Concept” category are as follows (Country, school, team name):

Hydrogen

1st place: Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam, UiTM Eco-Planet

Battery Electric

1st place: Singapore, Institute of Technical Education (ITE), ITERBO3

2nd place: Philippines, De La Salle University, DLSU Eco-Car Team Electric

Petrol (gasoline) Fuel

1st place: Indonesia, Universitas Indonesia, Sadewa Otto

2ns place: Indonesia, Sabelas Maret University, Bengawan Team 2

Diesel Fuel

1st place: Indonesia, Politeknik Negeri Pontianak, Mesin Polnep Diesel Team

2nd place: Indonesia, University of Sumatera Utara, Horas USU

Alternative Petrol (gasoline) Fuel

1st place: Indonesia, University of Sumatera Utara, HORAS MESIN

Alternative Diesel Fuel

1st place: Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, ITS Team 2

2nd place: Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Cikal Diesel

The Off-Track awards winners are as follows (Country, school, team name)

Communications

Pakistan, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Karachi, PNEC NUST-PROTOTYPE

Vehicle Design

Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, NTU Diesel Car Racing Team

Technical Innovation

Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, NTU Diesel Car Racing Team

Perseverance and Spirit of the Event

Philippines, De La Salle University, DLSU Eco Car Team-Electric

India, Madras Insitute of Technology, MIT Eco-Warriors

Safety

Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, NTU Diesel Car Racing Team

Shell Helix Tribology

Malaysia, Monash University, Malaysia, Team Monash 2

The homestand

After transforming the grounds of Luneta Park and Quirino Grandstand in Manila to makeshift race tracks, Shell lured more than 1,000 students from over 15 countries across Asia to create their own fuel-economy vehicles that can travel the highest mileage with a liter of gas.

And like in any other sports, student teams from the host country believe they have the “home advantage,” especially when designing, building and driving their innovative car entries.

This was proven by the Technological Institute of the Philippines, which bested 12 teams under the Urban Concept Diesel Category coming in third place with a fuel consumption rating of 47.44 kilometers per liter.

The “Urban Concept” category requires students to build a vehicle resembling an ordinary car powered by fuel. The “Prototype” category, meanwhile, seeks for the “most aerodynamic and fuel-efficient vehicle possible.”

Jerelyn Notario, team manager of the TIP Manila Mileage, said they made their “Urban Concept” entry powered by diesel for a specific goal.

“We used diesel because in the Philippines, most modes of transportation like jeepneys and buses often use it,” she told INQUIRER.net a few hours before their entry run the tracks.

“We want to contribute to the advocacy of Shell in building energy-efficient cars,” Notario added.

TIP college had four individual teams composed of Engineering students vying for the $2,000 grand prize. Two of which came from its Manila campus while the remaining others are from Quezon City campus.

According to her, the TIP Manila Mileage had won the “Best Team Spirit” award in 2012 Shell Eco-Marathon held at Sepang, Malaysia.

“Our advantage is that we know where to buy spare parts and materials needed whenever our cars experience faults. We can always rush to Raon and Quiapo for troubleshooting problems,” said Notario.

“We can always do ocular inspections whenever we want to (while we build our cars),” she explained.

The race track set up in Quirino Grandstand gave Philippine student teams the advantage as they could “study and measure the road condition” in just a few-minute drive away from their school campuses for preparation.

Gabriel Martin Parami, University of Santo Tomas Eco-Tigers representative, believed as well that although the track is not as fine in Sepang, they have the luxury of time to analyze and adjust to the road condition in Manila.

Another challenge Parami said was that they have to build a more durable car that could take minor road bumps and one that could establish momentum in straight tracks.

In the 2012 Eco-Marathon Asia, teams drove in an actual race track that has bends and downhill portions.

He said the UST Eco-Tigers, one of the schools that pioneered the global mileage competition in 2010, has been preparing for almost a year.

Due to the haze in Indonesia, where the 2013 Shell Eco-Marathon Asia was supposed to take place, the annual event was scrapped.

Inside the Shell Technical Inspection area, all entries have to undergo stages of diagnostic tests, including the inspection of safety belts, brakes, vehicle dimension, driver’s weight, design and energy verification.

Among the few, the De La Salle University Eco-Car Team successfully hurdled the tests.

The team ranked second in the Urban Concept- Battery Electric Category with a consumption rating of 66.38 kilometers per kilowatt hour.

Andrew Tan Lee, DLSU Eco-Car team leader, told INQUIRER.net that after extensive research, they were able to put solar panels on “Archer,” La Salle’s Urban Electric car.

The DLSU Eco-Car Team first attempted to join the 2013 Eco-Marathon Asia supposedly held in Indonesia.