Student teams from the Philippines will be heading to the Mandalika Circuit in Lombok, Indonesia to compete for the best fuel and energy mileage using their hand-built efficient vehicles.    Shell Pilipinas Corp. held a send-off event for the Philippine representatives competing in the upcoming Shell Eco-marathon this year in  Indonesia. The participating students are from the team, PUP Hygears, of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the students of the team, ALTAS Valor, from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.   The Shell Eco-marathon is a global competition where students make sustainable energy efficient vehicles with reduced emissions, will run them against vehicles made by students from other countries. This year it will take place at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Lombok, Indonesia from July 4 to 9, 2023.   PUP Hygears will participate in the Battery Electric Prototype category with their vehicle “Luna IV”. Having a carbon fiber body and repurposed materials from their vehicle last year, have allowed them to reduce the amount of waste from the fabrication process, which was also one of their main goals.

Team

 PUP Hygears, of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines 
"We've been preparing for this event for months, and we're confident that our car will perform well this time,” Miguel Licuanan, one of the Mechanical Team members of PUP Hygears said. “It does not only take one person to make a vehicle. It takes a whole team. You don’t just build vehicles, you also connect with the people, and thus creating a more efficient vehicle.”   ALTAS Valor joined the Urban Concept Internal Combustion category with their vehicle Avalon. Equipped with a single cylinder gasoline engine mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), it also has a carbon fiber body and an aluminum chassis.
Team ALTAS Valor of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.   Team Manager of ALTAS Valor, Jacob Moises Torres, expressed the team’s excitement for the competition, "It’s a mix of being excited and being nervous for the event.” At the same time, they are optimistic about the outcomes of their project, “We are looking forward to winning in the competition. Part of our preparation is getting guidance from SEM alumni who are also from Perpetual DALTA.”   The student teams received mentoring and coaching from Shell Eco Marathon alumni - Meg Celine Cruz, Joven Talape, Jerome Sta. Cruz, and Tito Eusebio who also happen to be Shell employees.     Also present at the send off was Pepon Marave, the Race Director for Shell Eco-marathon Asia Pacific and Middle East 2023, “There’s nothing like being prepared. When you’re prepared, you’re not stressed. When you’re not stressed, you enjoy,” said Marave, who is also a Filipino multiple Formula 3 Asia champion. Serge Bernal, Vice President for Corporate Relations Shell Pilipinas Corporation.
  Serge Bernal, Vice President for Corporate Relations of Shell Pilipinas Corporation asks for the teams to look at this experience beyond the competition. “Take this opportunity to learn, to meet more people, and to enjoy. Be proud that you are the representatives of the country to progress sustainable mobility,” Bernal said. "We at Shell Pilipinas are proud to support the next generation of innovators through programs like Shell Eco-marathon."