The Shell Eco-Marathon has always brought brilliant engineering students around the world together to see who can create the most energy-efficient vehicles that can reduce emissions and promote sustainability. Of course, our country has representatives from top universities throwing their hats into the ring.

For this year’s leg, students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the University of Perpetual Help will participate in two different categories: Battery Electric Prototype and Urban Concept Internal Combustion.

The PUP Hygears’ vehicle is called the Luna IV. This is the university’s ninth time participating in the event.

It’s a small electric vehicle that features a carbon-fiber body with a 1kWh battery, and is capable of driving for around at least one hour on a single charge. The vehicle’s aim is to reduce the amount of waste produced during fabrication by reusing and repurposing materials used from last year’s vehicle.

The team intends to bounce back from last year’s disappointment where they were unable to participate due to problems caused by shipping and logistics.

Meanwhile, the UPH System DALTA’s Altas Valor is fielding in a car called Avalon. The body is made from carbon fiber with an aluminum chassis.

It features a single-cylinder internal-combustion engine mated to a CVT for the best possible fuel efficiency. While the team could not reveal more specifics, they did tell us that the engine was reconfigured to run on any fuel, allowing for gasoline, kerosene, and diesel to be used.

The 2023 edition of the competition will take place at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Lombok, Indonesia, on July 4-9. We wish them success as competitions like these help further the industry and inspire young engineers.