Energy
Goals of today's high school and college students: Help the World Use Less Fuel
By prnewswire.com
Apr 1, 2008, 12:57

From this PRNewswire.com site:
Houston, TX — March 31, 2008 — PRNewswire — While many "spring breakers" spend their time enjoying some rest and relaxation with fellow students, 38 teams from across the United States, Canada and Mexico are hard at work putting the finishing touches on their high-mileage, fuel-saving prototype vehicles. After months of plotting, planning and pushing the limits, these students are down to the wire as they work to complete their vehicles for the 2008 Shell Eco- marathon(TM) Americas - a global mileage challenge and forum for current and future leaders who are passionate about finding sustainable solutions to the world's energy challenge.

"We realize the future of transportation ultimately depends on alternative energy sources," said David Ulrich, student team leader of the Cal Poly team, who set the Shell Eco-marathon Americas record in 2007 with an astonishing 1,902.7 miles per gallon (809 kilometers per litre). "And as an engineering student, being given the opportunity to design and build fuel-efficient vehicles is an important part of gaining practical experience for the future."

Taking place April 10-12 at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the challenge tests students to design and build eco-friendly vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. From vehicle design to financing, student teams manage their projects from start to finish. The winning team receives a grand prize of US$10,000 dollars for their school.

The 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas roster contains 38 teams from five high schools and 24 universities from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The entries include 28 vehicles powered by combustion engines, six by fuel cell/hydrogen technology, one by diesel fuel, one by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and two by solar power.

  The complete 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas roster is:
  Combustion Engine Entrants:
  School                Location       Team Name        Vehicle Name

  Barstow High School   Barstow,       The Aztecs Team  Grease Lighting
                        Calif.         II

  Barstow High School   Barstow,       Barstow High     The Az-Tech
                        Calif.         School

  California            San Luis       Cal Poly         Black Widow
   Polytechnic State    Obispo,        Supermileage
   University           Calif.

  California State      Los Angeles,   CSULA            Super Eagle II
   University,          Calif.         Supermileage
   Los Angeles

  Cedarville University Cedarville,    Yellow Jackets   Lightning III
                        Ohio

  Cedarville University Cedarville,    Yellow Jackets   Slipstream II
                        Ohio

  Centennial High       Corona County, Huskies          The Blur
   School               Calif.

  Colorado School of    Denver, Colo.  Ramblin Wreck    Peanut Butter
   Mines

  Grand Rapids          Grand Rapids,  G-Rock           Spirit of Columbia
   Technical School     Minn.

  Lamar University      Beaumont,      Team Havoc       Wicked 1
                        Texas

  Lamar University      Beaumont,      Team Full Of It  Lamar Prototype
                        Texas                           Vehicle

  Louisiana State       Baton Rouge,   Tiger Racing     Chitty Chitty Bang
   University           La.                             Bang

  Louisiana Tech        Ruston, La.    LA Tech Bulldogs De Donderhond
   University

  Loyola Marymount      Los Angeles,   The Lion         The Roar
  University            Calif.

  Mater Dei High School Evansville,    Mater Dei        5th Gen
                        Ind.           Supermileage
                                       Team

  Mater Dei High School Evansville,    Mater Dei        6th Gen
                        Ind.           Supermileage
                                       Team

  Northern Arizona      Flagstaff,     Team SAE@NAU     The Hot Pocket
   University           Ariz.

  Northern Arizona      Flagstaff,     NAU Efficient    Efficient Vehicle
   University           Ariz.          Vehicle

  Rose-Hulman Institute Terre Haute,   Rose-Hulman      RHEV 74
   of Technology        Ind.           Efficient
                                       Vehicles

  Universidad Nacional  Mexico City,   Escuderia Puma   Puma Azteca
   Autonoma de Mexico - Mexico         Unam
   Facultad de
   Ingenieria

  Universite Laval      Laval, Quebec, Alerion          PSD 2.2
                        Canada         Supermileage

  University of British Vancouver,     UBC Supermileage UBCST
   Columbia             British        Team
                        Columbia

  University of         Berkeley,      Cal SMV          Papa Bear
   California,          Calif.
   Berkeley

  University of         Los Angeles,   Supermileage     The Enterprise
   California, Los      Calif.
   Angeles

  University of         Santa Barbara, UCSB Gauchos     Gaucho 1
   California,          Calif.
  Santa Barbara

  University of         Boulder, Colo. Mile High Club   F-CAT
   Colorado, Boulder

  University of Houston Houston, Texas UH Cougars       Red Streak

  University Of Texas,  El Paso, Texas Miner Dilema     Chimichanga
   El Paso

  Fuel Cell Entrants:
  School                 Location      Team Name        Vehicle Name

  Lamar University       Beaumont,     FullThrottle
                         Texas                          1602

  Los Altos High School  Hacienda      LAAE A           Infusion I
                         Heights,
                         Calif.

  Los Altos High School  Hacienda      LAAE B           Infusion II
                         Heights,
                         Calif.

  Los Altos High School  Hacienda      LAAE C           High Voltage
                         Heights,
                         Calif.

  Penn State University  University    Penn State HFV   Bad to the Bond
                         Park,
                         Pa.

  University of Victoria Victoria,     H2Drive          UVic Fuel Cell
                         British                        Vehicle
                         Columbia

  Diesel Entrant:
  School                Location       Team Name        Vehicle Name

  College of the        Eureka, Calif. Diesel Corsair   Diesel Corsair
  Redwoods

  LPG Entrant:
  School                Location      Team Name        Vehicle Name

  Schurr High School    Montebello,   Spartans         Mach 1
                        Calif.

  Solar Entrants:
  School                 Location       Team Name        Vehicle Name

  Centennial High School Corona County, Huskies          The Flash
                         Calif.
  Purdue University      West           Purdue Solar     Pulsar
                         Lafayette,     Racing
                         Ind.

To help ensure the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon Americas is a successful event for all the student participants, Shell is pleased to welcome the 2008 event sponsors:

SKF USA Inc. - As one of the leading global suppliers of products, solutions and services in the areas of rolling bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication systems, SKF is providing up to $1,000 in equipment and engineering support for the student teams (www.skfusa.com).

Autodesk - Autodesk, a world leader in design innovation technology, is recognized as a Shell Eco-marathon global sponsor. Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets (www.autodesk.com).

Michelin - Michelin, a sponsor of Shell Eco-marathon in Europe, is providing low-rolling resistance tires for use in the competition and offering them to the student teams at a discounted rate. Michelin is also engaging students to understand how tires effect fuel economy and how the same principles relate their project cars to vehicles in the real-world (www.michelinman.com).

Pennzoil - Pennzoil is providing one quart of Pennzoil Platinum (R) full synthetic motor oil for each student team, along with technical support. The active cleansing agents in Pennzoil Platinum(R) help remove built-up dirt and deposits 3X better than the leading conventional oil*. Pennzoil is the most preferred motor oil brand in America, and its line of quality products meets or exceeds industry specifications to offer exceptional engine protection. (www.pennzoil.com).

With many successful years in Europe, the Shell Eco-marathon came back to the U.S. as the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in April 2007. The Eco-marathon concept started as the Shell Mileage Marathon in 1939 between employees of Shell at a research laboratory in Wood River, Illinois. Today, the Americas event extends to student teams from across North and South America.

In Europe, the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon project will take place May 22-24 at the Nogaro Circuit, France. The 2007 European event attracted teams from 20 countries, with the winning teams hailing from Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway.

For more information on the Shell Eco-marathon Americas, please visit www.shell.com/us/ecomarathon.

Shell Oil Company, including its consolidated companies and its share in equity companies, is one of America's leading oil and natural gas producers, natural gas marketers, gasoline marketers and petrochemical manufacturers. Shell, a leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, is a recognized pioneer in oil and gas exploration and production technology. Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Shell Group, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies, employing approximately 112,000 people and operating in more than 130 countries and territories.

  * Based on a severe sludging test using SAE 5W-30.