The Shell Eco-marathon which is held in Asia, Europe and the Americas annually, aims to promote energy innovation and fuel efficiency. It has its origin in 1939 when Shell scientists at a research lab made a bet on who could squeeze the most mileage out of a single unit of fuel. The winner achieved 21 km/l. Today the record stands at 3,771 km/l.

The Eco-marathon in its current form was first held in 1985 in France (680 km/l). New categories have been added over the years to reflect innovation in the automotive industry. Besides gasoline and diesel, there are categories for battery-electric, alternative fuels, CNG and hydrogen. The results of all categories are expressed in kilometers per liter gasoline equivalent.

By participating in the Eco-marathon, the students hope to raise awareness about the benefits of hydrogen as a replacement for fossil fuels. Paul Hulsman Team leader and Chief Aero told scientific magazine Scientias: ‘We want to show that hydrogen is a safe energy source. Many people think hydrogen has a high risk of exploding. Perhaps when they see students work with it, they will change their minds. We are convinced hydrogen is a good solution because a small amount of hydrogen can carry a lot of energy.’

Image: Previous iteration of the Eco-runner on a test drive on the track in Zandvoort, The Netherlands. Courtesy: Eco-runner team. 
Source: De Ingenieur.