European student competitors broke records and furthered the development of fuel-efficient transport during this year's Shell Eco-Marathon. The race, which took place over the last weekend in May, saw 187 teams from 10 European countries put their creations head to head in a test of efficiency.
In the 27th year of the competition, teams were once again challenged to design and create cars not necessarily built for speed, but which would travel furthest on a small amount of fuel as they hit the tracks in Lausitz, Germany.
The Eco-marathon invites entries to two categories; the Prototype category, which encourages futuristic designs made to minimise drag and maximise energy efficiency; and the UrbanConcept category, where entries are based around the more familiar passenger car.
The two British teams which made it to the track, though sadly failed to qualify after time trials, were from Langley Park School for Boys, who took their prototype design around a 15.8 mile track, and Aston University, whose UrbanConcept vehicle raced on an 11.8 mile track.
Entries were further divided by their engine and fuel type. Some teams decided on an internal combustion engine, fuelled by petrol, diesel, gas-to-liquid, biodiesel, or ethanol. Others plumped for an electric engine, which could run on hydrogen, solar energy or, for the first time in the competition's history, 'plug in' battery technologies.
Notable winners and records included the entry from Politecnico di Milano, whose solar-powered car proved capable of travelling 1,108 kilometres -- the length of their home country, Italy -- on just 1kWh of energy. French team Polytech Nantes beat their own record in the Prototype hydrogen fuel cell category by driving their car for 590.2km on the same amount.
Check out our gallery below for images of some of the competing designs.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
