Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani lifts the perseverance and spirit of the event award at Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2016

When two team members from Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani landed in Manila to participate in the seventh and final edition of Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2016, they discovered that the visa applications for the rest of their team members had been rejected. The team constituted a total of eight members who had worked day and night to put together ‘The Myriad’- a gasoline UrbanConcept vehicle. 

One member managed to re apply and get a visa to join the team in Manila. Now left with three members, the team needed to work against the clock to complete the whole vehicle. However, this was just the beginning of their problems. The team soon realized that due to an error in documentation, a large part of their consignment was still stuck at the customs without which they would not be able to clear technical inspection. 

“Two full-days went by in trying to source the consignment from customs. We were still positive that once the consignment reached us, we will be able to put together the vehicle. But the deadline for technical inspection was fast approaching”, Said Rohan Sanghvi, Team Manager, Team BITS.

Fighting till the last minute, the team approached Shell, logistics partners, custom authorities and other participating teams from India for help. Support poured in from all quarters including DTU Supermileage from Delhi Technological University who moved some of their own team members to Team BITS to work on their vehicle.

Said Vikash Mishra, Country Head, Shell External Relations, “Team BITS showed great resilience and perseverance despite facing multiple setbacks. Despite the lack of support – both financially and morally, they remained positive and chose to move forward amidst all the challenges faced, and were focused on preparing whatever they could for their car. The team demonstrated that the event is not just about winning, but is also a platform for them to pursue their passions. We are very proud of them for upholding the spirit of the event and wish them all the best for future”.

Other winners at the event include Team HOW MUCH ETHANOL from Panjavidhya Technological College, Thailand. They clinched first place in the Prototype Alternative Fuel category with a mileage of 2,040km/l at the street circuit – the approximate equivalent distance between Manila and Bangkok. Team Sadewa from Universitas Indonesia more than doubled last year’s winning result and recorded 275km/l in the UrbanConcept Shell FuelSave Gasoline category.

Ten Indian student teams, including Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani participated in the seventh and final edition of Shell Eco-marathon Asia at Manila, Philippines last week.

The event welcomed close to 30,000 members of the public over the span of four days, who got up close to the student competition and watched live performances at the Fan Zone. Visitors were also treated to a captivating and educational adventure into the future of energy, cities and sustainability at the Energy Zone, and enjoyed an outdoor festival where they were able to participate in activities and grab a bite to eat.

To access event images, please visit the following

URL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shell_eco-marathon/.

About Shell Eco-marathon

Shell Eco-marathon began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the United States as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle. The winner of that contest barely achieved 50 mpg (21 km/l), and from these humble origins, a more organized competition evolved. In 1985 in France, Shell Eco-marathon as we know it today was born. In April 2007, the Shell Eco-marathon Americas event was launched in the United States, and in 2010, the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia, up until 2013. Since 2014, the event has been held in Manila, Philippines, which will continue to host the event until 2016.