WHAT:
Shell will welcome more than 1,000 students from 99 high schools and universities across North and South America to Make the Future California featuring Shell Eco-marathon Americas at Sonoma Raceway.
Make the Future California provides a platform for innovation, collaboration and conversation around the world's energy challenges, as part of a global series of events through 2018. For the past 30 years, Shell Eco-marathon, one of the world's leading energy efficiency competitions for students, has been challenging future engineers and scientists to go the farthest with the least amount of energy.
SHELL ECO-MARATHON:
Shell Eco-marathon is a global program built to offer students hands-on opportunities to develop ideas and technology, knowledge and skills, within an arena of competition. Currently held in Asia, the Americas and Europe and made up of two key competitions: Shell Eco-marathon Mileage Challenge and Drivers' World Championship, students from countries across their respective regions use innovative problem-solving skills to design and build their own cars. Looking at every aspect of design and technology, students compete to prove that their bright ideas will produce the most energy-efficient vehicle when tested on the track.
WHEN:
April 19-22, 2018
CIRCUIT:
Student teams will compete on a newly-created .99-mile, five-turn course comprising the raceway's start/finish straight, iconic Esses and a hairpin turn at Turn 11.
COMPETITON:
Student teams have been working for months to plan and construct their ultra-energy-efficient vehicles. By maximizing elements such as streamlined design, lightweight materials and driving strategy, teams aim to set new fuel-efficiency records in two Shell Eco-marathon competitions:
- Shell Eco-marathon Mileage Challenge: Students compete to see whose vehicle design can go the farthest on the least amount of fuel.
- Drivers' World Championship Regional Final: Energy efficiency and speed unite in a race to be crowned the regional champion and secure a place in the Drivers' World Championship Grand Final, which will be held in London, 2018.
Student teams can participate in one of two vehicle categories:
- The Prototype: Challenges teams to enter futuristic, streamlined vehicles designed purely to reduce friction and maximize efficiency.
- The UrbanConcept: Focuses on more "roadworthy" energy-efficient vehicles.
For both vehicle categories, teams can choose one of three drivetrains based on five official energy sources:
- Internal combustion: gasoline, diesel, and ethanol
- Hydrogen fuel cell
- Battery electric technologies
TEAMS:
More than 1,000 students from 99 high schools and universities across North and South America will participate in the event. Highlighted teams include:
- Local entries from the University of California, Berkeley, California State University Sacramento and California Polytechnic State University.
- Université Laval from Quebec, Canada, which last year recorded 2,731.1 miles per gallon equivalent with its ultra-energy-efficient gasoline powered prototype vehicle for first place in their energy and vehicle category.
- Mater Dei Supermileage Team, returning for their 12th time in the competition, recorded top energy efficiency stats with 723.4 miles per gallon in their gasoline-powered UrbanConcept vehicle last year.
- Louisiana Tech University, which won the Vehicle Design Award in 2017 with its custom-designed UrbanConcept car, will aim to take top honors again.
- Additional international entries include teams from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil and Argentina.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS:
Shell events around to Make the Future California will foster dialogue about future energy challenges and near-term solutions, including:
- Powering Progress Together, April 19: Shell will convene leading thinkers in San Francisco at an action-focused event aimed to foster conversation about the future of energy. The event will invite fresh thinking, and encourage collaboration, dialogue and debate.
- Shell B2B Showcase: Various businesses within Shell will be featured on site, such as Shell's New Energies group based in San Francisco, showcasing hydrogen and electric automotive mobility; Shell Lubricants and its hyper-fuel-efficient Class 8 tractor-trailer, the Starship Initiative; and the nearby Shell Martinez Refinery.
EVENT INFORMATION:
Admission to the Make the Future California event is FREE. For more information, visit www.SonomaRaceway.com or www.shell.us/energy-and-innovation/shell-ecomarathon-americas.
AT-TRACK SCHEDULE (All times Pacific and subject to change):
Thursday, April 19
9 a.m-4 p.m. Make the Future Festival Open
2 p.m.-6 p.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas practice runs
Friday, April 20
8:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas practice runs
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Make the Future Festival Open
11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas Opening Ceremonies
2:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas practice runs
4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas UrbanConcept Competition (session 1)
Saturday, April 21
8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas Prototype Competition (session 1)
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Make the Future Festival Open
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas UrbanConcept Competition (session 2)
1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas Prototype Competition (session 2)
4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas UrbanConcept Competition (session 3)
Sunday, April 22
8 a.m.-9 a.m. Shell Eco-marathon Americas UrbanConcept Competition (session 4)
9:30 a.m.- Noon. Shell Eco-marathon Americas Prototype Competition (session 3)
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Make the Future Festival Open
2:30 p.m.-3:20 p.m. Drivers' World Championship Regional Race
4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Awards & Closing Ceremony
