Two teams from Pakistan were amongst the 50 participating teams from 16 different countries in the first virtual Shell Eco-marathon Asia Off-Track Awards. The winners were announced in a virtual ceremony live on Shell Eco-marathon’s Instagram and Twitter on June 3, 2020, led by Shell Eco-marathon Global General Manager Norman Koch. Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Driver Charles Leclerc joined the ceremony as a special guest. Students submitted their entries with video content to show their work in action. A virtual jury selected the winners for the six award categories: Vehicle Design (Prototype and Urban Concept), Technical Innovation, Communications, Safety and Circular Economy.
A team from NUST PNEC (Pakistan Navy Engineering College) Karachi submitted an Innovation entry; based on developing a siren detection system that alerts the driver when an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or police vehicle approaches. The system monitors background noise for specific sound patterns and alerts the driver through haptic feedback when a siren is registered. Several countries do not allow individuals with impaired hearing to obtain a driver’s license and tools like these could open up possibilities.
A team from NUST CEME (College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) Rawalpindi submitted a Vehicle Design entry; the design focused on keeping the overall weight minimum while ensuring safety of the vehicle; in order to reduce fuel consumed. Main features include a lightweight chassis made of mild steel, a fire resistant and sturdy but lighter carbon fibre body cover, hydraulic braking system, one-way drivetrain powering single tyre, EFI kit and a new 125cc engine with stater motor.
“We understand how the students were looking forward to compete at Shell Eco-marathon Asia this year. While we were not able to hold a physical event due to Covid-19, having the virtual Off-Track Awards this year allowed us to honour the work the students have done and provide a continued opportunity to compete,” said Norman Koch, Global General Manager for Shell Eco-marathon.
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“We are proud of the teams from Pakistan for participating in the Off-Track Awards this year. We are also happy to share three student teams scored well in a pitch organized by Shell Pakistan to provide an opportunity to share their ideas and strategies to a judging panel for sponsorship and help prepare them for the upcoming marathon. As a result, GhulamIshaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIKI), National University of Sciences & Technology – College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (NUST CEME) and National University of Sciences and Technology – Pakistan Navy Engineering College (NUST PNEC) received PKR 650,000 each to invest in their vehicles. We look forward to our students representing Pakistan with winning vehicles at the next Shell Eco-marathon,” said Haroon Rashid, Chief Executive and Managing Director of Shell Pakistan.
This year student teams from Brunei, India, Indonesia and Singapore reaped awards. The year also marks the 35th anniversary of Shell Eco-marathon. Over the years, Shell Eco-marathon has seen thousands of high school and university students from across the world build ultra-energy-efficient vehicles, in a variety of designs, using a spectrum of energy types. Every year brings new stories of human endeavor and technical excellence, as teams push the boundaries of what’s possible. In these extraordinary times, Shell Eco-marathon continued to find ways to keep the spirit of innovation alive among its student participants.
