



The mini cars aren’t meant for commercial consumption, as they aren’t exactly comfortable. On average, the entries accelerate to about 15 mph as they make laps around the 1km course. The idea here is not distance or speed, but total fuel efficiency. Team Université Laval won by a landslide with their Alerion vehicle.

The supermiler consumed between 9-10.31 ml of gas on average for the 10 lap run, and the win scored the team a $5,000 cash prize. Shell’s Eco-marathon also challenges students to build other cars powered by other green technologies such as solar power, plug-in electric batteries, and fuel cell/hydrogen power.

These innovative challenges and prototypes by young students set the stage for the developments of our future engineers. With any luck, these prototypes for energy-efficient vehicles will grow into realistic consumer products in the future.

+ Alerion Supermileage

+ Shell Eco-marathon

Via Wired

Lead photo © Shell


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  1. Meowmix June 28, 2011 at 10:21 am



  2. Molasses April 25, 2011 at 10:25 am


    So… that’s why they used gas.

  3. electric38 April 21, 2011 at 5:31 pm

    Why are they still using gas???



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