2 Phl teams cop honors in Shell Eco-marathon

MANILA, Philippines - Two schools from Team Philippines – University of the Philippines-Diliman and Mapua Institute of Technology – bested a stellar field as it won the On-Track and Off-Track awards in the Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently.

UP won the Diesel Fuel Award for its Urban Concept vehicle entry “Kidlat” which runs on a hybrid diesel engine. It chalked up an efficiency performance of 60 km/l of fuel, enough to drive from Manila to Calamba, Laguna.

On the other hand, Mapua’s Team Amihan was awarded for its exemplary safety compliance during the competition, winning second place for the Safety Award, which recognizes teams who have made the most extensive effort to comply with the safety rules and have integrated safety concerns into vehicle design and construction.

Other winners were Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and Institute of Technical Innovation, which copped first and third places, respectively.

For the Urban Concept category, teams entered more “roadworthy” fuel-efficient vehicles. Aimed at meeting the real-life needs of drivers, these vehicles are closer in appearance to the cars seen on roads today. 

The event gathered the region’s brightest students in the global quest to design and build a vehicle that can travel the farthest distance using the least amount of energy.

Meanwhile, the next Shell Eco-marathon Asia will be held July 4-7, 2012 at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For more information on the Shell Eco-marathon, visit www.shell.com/ecomarathon.