Canadian university wins 2010 Eco-marathon competition

For the second year in a row, Laval University won the grand prize in the "Prototype" category at the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas this past weekend in Houston, Texas. The student-built, fuel-efficient vehicle achieved the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel with 1,057.5 kilometres per litre, or 2,487.5 miles per gallon.

Overall, 42 student teams competed in the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas, a challenge for students to design, build and test fuel-efficient vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel.

Student teams were invited to participate in either the Prototype or Urban Concept categories. For the Prototype category, teams entered futuristic designs – streamlined vehicles focused on maximizing fuel efficiency through innovative design elements, such as drag reduction. For the Urban Concept category, teams entered more "roadworthy" fuel-efficient vehicles.

For both categories, teams could use any conventionally available energy source – including fuels such as diesel, gasoline and liquid petroleum gas (LPG), as well as alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biomass and solar.

With 48 vehicles testing on the Houston street course, competition was steep. This year’s challenge brought together a number of returning teams determined to beat the winning 2,757.1 mpg (1,172.2 km/l) achieved by Quebec’s Laval University in 2009.

Other participating Canadian schools included Dalhousie University, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Ottawa and Ecole de technologie superieure (University of Quebec Engineering School).
www.shell.com/ecomarathon