Shell sets world record for the Largest Fuel Efficiency Lesson

MANILA, Philippines - The “Suck”, “Squeeze”, “Bang” and “Blow”: These are just a few of the interesting things I learned from Pilipinas Shell two weekends ago. And before your minds start getting a bit too creative... No, the company did not have a paradigm shift – they are, in fact, merely sticking with something they had shifted to years ago: teaching their customers how to use their fuels more efficiently.

In case you couldn’t draw the connection: the “suck” refers to a car engine’s induction, the “squeeze” to its compression, the “bang” to the ignition and the “blow” to its exhaust. This was just a creative way of how Pilipinas Shell explained the inner workings of a regular car engine to the public – in an attempt to make them understand how energy is transferred from fuel, to a running vehicle, and consequently, how energy can be used more efficiently. This, and so much more was what I learned at Shell’s extraordinary event held in Bonifacio High Street last October 15. It was called the Shell Fuelsave Day.

I never imagined that I would become part of a World Guinness Record, but that’s exactly what happened when I participated at the event – we literally made history! Apparently, Shell Fuelsave Day was a global initiative that took place simultaneously in 10 cities across Europe and Asia, namely: Allerød, Denmark; Bangkok, Thailand; Hamburg, Germany; Hong Kong, China; Istanbul, Turkey; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; London, UK; Valkenburg, Netherlands; and our very own Manila and Iloilo City, Philippines. And yes – the Philippines was the only country that had two cities participating!

Each city personalized its own mass participation event, designed to engage and educate a large consumer audience around fuel saving. Together, these events in 10 different cities held at 5pm Philippine Time (10am british Summer Time) on October 15, 2011 gathered a total of 3,243 participants in the “Largest Fuel Efficiency Lesson” ever! This number was enough to have Shell set a Guinness World Record.

The world record attempt was overseen by local Guinness adjudicators in their respective cities. Together, they verified the successful completion of the world record, and made the formal announcement the following day, October 16, 2011. 736 of the record’s 3,243 in attendance were from the Philippines.

Shell took this global initiative following their recent launch of Shell FuelSave Unleaded and Shell FuelSave Diesel in the Philippines – Shell’s most advanced fuel economy formulas, so far.

“To see so many people come together and achieving a Guinness World Record for fuel efficiency pushed our passion to help motorists get the most out of every drop of fuel. We know that Filipino motorists are looking for ways to bring down their driving costs, so I hope that through today’s celebrations, we’ve been able to show them how easily this can be achieved by choosing the right fuel and making a few simple changes to their driving habits,” said Oying Yam, Pilipinas Shell General Manager for Retail.

The Philippine leg of Shell FuelSave Day was a fun recreation of the typical Filipino Fiesta. The event involved numerous activities for the entire family, such as balloon sculpting, face-painting, and an array of mini-performances by jugglers and magicians. And in the Filipino spirit of love for food, there were also Pinoy street delicacies such as squid balls, barbeque and cotton candy available throughout the event. As an added treat, they also had the band Freestyle perform to keep the crowds singing and grooving. In a nutshell, it was a fantastic place for alternative learning... Learning how to get the most out of every drop of fuel, and thereby cutting driving costs.

“Global Shell FuelSave Day is a testament of how motorists from all over the world can come together to cut down on their fuel consumption and save money. In the Philippines, Filipinos united in the true spirit of “Bayanihan” and made history inspired by their desire to achieve better fuel efficiency,” said Yam.

Shell estimates that in the year 2050, the number of cars on the road will have tripled. This is why it is crucial for us to continue taking steps towards using energy more efficiently – it is so far the only way we know, to meet this demand effectively and responsibly. Hence, Shell’s continued quest for Smarter Mobility – a continued work in progress.