Shell has a car race that's all about fuel efficiency
Transcript
[BLANK_AUDIO]
Held at the [UNKNOWN] Exhibition Center in Singapore, the Shell Eco Marathon is probably the slowest race I've ever watched.
But there's a lot to like.
For one, you get to see super futuristic cars on the track as they slowly but quietly go past.
That's because these cars are using a coast and burn strategy, where they turn on the engine for a quick acceleration burst before coasting away to save on fuel.
Built by students, the car at the Eco-marathon come in two versions.
Prototype or urban concept and depending on the build can use petrol, electricity or hydrogen as the fuel.
Now the aim of the race is to use the least amount of fuel while going around the racetrack nine times.
But you can't go too slow as you need to finish by 25 minutes.
Getting the best results means the team qualifies for the world driver's championships.
Which is an actual race with the winner going to London for the Grand Finals.
I also had the chance to lie in Shell's prototype car and it's uncomfortable as heck.
[INAUDIBLE] aims to reduce drag, you lie down inside the car to drive.
And there's really not a lot of space.
While the Shell urban concept looks like a more comfortable ride and there's space for two.
The bumpy track means I didn't quite enjoy my experience.
Now I call it quits after two laps.
And the students, obviously, have much tougher bones if they managed to survive nine.
Shell Eco Marathon hits to America next month before the Grand Final takes place in London in July.
I'm [UNKNOWN] reporting for CNET in Singapore.
