The Shell Eco-marathon, an energy efficiency race, will take place in June in London at the Olympic park where 200 teams from all over Europe are expected. Around 30 of these teams arrived Friday, May 13th at the Circuit International de Karting (CIK) track at Le Mans to prepare for the big European finale on June 30th; this via a challenge also open to those who will enter the next editions and those not qualified for London 2016, 31st edition of the Shell Eco-marathon.

Three competitions take place every year around the world. One in Asia in Manila in March of 2016, one in the U.S. in Detroit in April and the next round in London.

Two types of cars are approved: UrbanConcept and Prototype. The first applies to four-wheel city vehicles with very strict rules. They are heavier (225 kg maximum) than the second which are lighter (140 kg maximum), can be limited to three wheels and are very aerodynamic. They are designed around the driver, but to get in one must have a small frame and weigh at least 50 kilos.

One must select among the seven types of available energy to power the vehicle. When designing their prototypes, engineers and experts choose between petrol, diesel, ethanol, compressed natural gas and GTL (a form of synthetic diesel from gas by Shell) for combustion engines, hydrogen for the fuel cell and lastly lithium-polymer batteries for electric models.

Coming from Holland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Polond, Slovakia, Turkey, Tunisia and France, 26 Prototypes and 10 UrbanConcepts will hit the track for a 40-minute run between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 14th, and between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 15th. Among the 15 electric vehicles, seven use ethanol, eight petrol, two diesel, two hydrogen, one GTL and one GNC.

In all, the competitors must complete 10 track laps, or 13.84 kilometers in 40 minutes, at an average near 25 km/h. Once the 10 laps are done, they measure according to the energy used: or the energy consumed and they calculate it all to obtain "the potential distance traveled with a liter of fuel," and the same for the electric energy to 1 kilowatt-hour and the volume of hydrogen consumed to 1 m3!

Shell, via this educational competition, has developed a veritable breeding ground of talent, and explores thanks to the different systems tested the orientations of future mobility of tomorrow. The oil company is also a partner and official supplier for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in which the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the top race.

Marc LAFFEAS / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT INTERNATIONAL DE KARTING, SATURDAY MAY 14 2016. The cars of the Shell Eco-marathon have taken over the CIK track for two days. Pictured, the Brest IUT Westeam prototype, using a combustion engine running on LPG.