(From right) Simon, Naqiuddin, Yusof, Redzuan and Mahadhir pose with their prototype model.
Team Enggang Emas from Curtin University Sarawak campus in Miri aims to pull off an upset at the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2015 now taking place in Manila, Philippines.
Last year, the team participated in the UrbanCar Concept category and finished ninth.
This time, the team is going for the Prototype (battery electric) category and aims for a better showing as one of the top finishers.
Team leader Naqiuddin Othman said they have prepared a year for this competition.
“The category commences tomorrow, and hopefully everything goes well as planned. For us, the most challenging opponent will be the team from Thailand which has won for three consecutive years,” said Naqiuddin when met today.
Apart from Naqiuddin, the other team members are brothers Redzuan Jailani and Mahadhir Jailani, Simon Luthsamy and Yusof Azhari.
Redzuan and Mahadhir are from Miri, while the others are from Peninsula. The team is a mixture of electronic and mechanical engineering students.
A total 127 teams from 17 countries, including 14 from Malaysia, are taking part in this competition of innovation where they will be challenged to stretch the boundaries of fuel efficiency in a real world urban environment, where winners are determined by the mileage achieved on one single litre of fuel, rather than speed.
The competition is divided into Prototype and UrbanConcept vehicle categories. The Prototype category will see teams entering cars of the future – streamlined vehicles focused on maximising fuel efficiency through innovative design elements, such as drag reduction.
The UrbanConcept category will focus on more ‘roadworthy’ fuel-efficient vehicles. Aimed at meeting the real-life needs of drivers, these vehicles are closer in appearance to the higher-mileage cars seen on the roads today.
Its flagging off this morning was officiated by Philippines’ Undersecretary of Department of Energy, Zenaida Monsada and Shell’s chief human resource and corporate officer Hugh Mitchell.