Today, Shell Oil Company ("Shell"), in conjunction with Sonoma Raceway and Speedway Motorsports Inc., announced Make the Future California featuring Shell Eco-marathon Americas will return to Sonoma Raceway as the 2019 competition venue from April 3-6, 2019.

"Make the Future California provides a platform for innovation, collaboration and conversation towards a lower-carbon energy future, as part of a global series of annual events," said Norman Koch, Make the Future General Manager. "The Sonoma Raceway provides a challenging and competitive track venue for the heart of the Make the Future events, Shell Eco-marathon."

The challenge is one of the world's leading energy efficiency competitions for students, requiring them to design, build and test ultra-energy-efficient vehicles; push the boundaries of what is technically possible and inspire thinking about the challenges and opportunities for mobility and transition to new energies.

Make the Future California will host two Shell Eco-marathon competitions:

  • Shell Eco-marathon Americas - the mileage challenge where students compete to see whose vehicle design can go the farthest on the least amount of energy.
  • Shell Eco-marathon Drivers' World Championship Regional Final - marrying energy efficiency with speed in a race to be crowned the regional champion, and secure their place in the Drivers' World Championship Grand Final that will be held in London, 2019.

"For the last 12 years, students participating in Shell Eco-marathon Americas have designed ultra-energy efficient vehicles, with some achieving more than 3,500 miles per gallon using a range of energies. In fact, half the 98 student teams that participated in 2018 chose renewable energy sources to power their vehicles," said Pamela Rosen, Shell Eco-marathon Americas spokesperson. "These student participants work together to develop innovative solutions that can result in game-changing energy efficiency and transportation performance; they are the people who will help meet the growing energy demand and reduce future CO2 emissions."

Student teams compete in two vehicle classes. The Prototype class invites students to enter futuristic, streamlined vehicles, and the UrbanConcept class focuses on "roadworthy," energy-efficient vehicles aimed at meeting the real-life needs of drivers. Entries are divided into three energy categories:

  • Internal combustion: gasoline, diesel, and ethanol
  • Hydrogen fuel cell
  • Battery electric

"At Sonoma Raceway, we always strive to provide a showcase for the latest in green automotive technology and hosting the return of Shell Eco-marathon Americas in 2019 helps us with that effort," said Sonoma Raceway President and General Manager Steve Page. "Best of all, this event provides a platform for the young people who will constitute the next generation of automotive designers, engineers and innovators.  We are very excited to provide the forum for them to unveil and test their latest efforts."

The 2018 Shell Eco-marathon Americas' winners across the three energy categories were:

  • Internal combustion: Brigham Young University of Provo, Utah, with 1985.4 miles per gallon with its gasoline-powered Prototype vehicle and Mater Dei High School of Evanston, Indiana, with 841.3 miles per gallon with its gasoline-powered UrbanConcept vehicle.
  • Hydrogen fuel cell: Duke University of Durham, NC with 383.1 miles/m3 in their Prototype vehicle and Cicero North Syracuse High School of Cicero, NY with 38.2 miles/m3 in their UrbanConcept vehicle.
  • Battery electric: Duke University with 367.9 miles/kWh in their Prototype vehicle and Saint Thomas Academy of Mendota, MN with 63.2 miles/kWh in their UrbanConcept vehicle.

Saint Thomas Academy (Minnesota) was joined by Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Canada) and Mater Dei (Indiana) in the Drivers' World Championship Regional Final podium places at Sonoma Raceway in 2018 and competed against top teams from Asia and Europe in London this summer. Saskatchewan Polytechnic went on to join the winner's circle at the Driver's World Championship Grand Final in London and will travel with the other top finishers to Maranello in early December for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Scuderia Ferrari headquarters in Italy.

For universities and high schools interested in learning more about Shell Eco-marathon Americas, including additional details on vehicle class requirements, official rules and details on prizes, please visit the Shell Eco-marathon website at: www.shell.com/ecomarathon.