After months of coordinating designs and constructing vehicles, 43 student teams - among 9 high schools and 29 universities - are putting the finishing touches on their vehicles for the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas energy challenge. These leaders of tomorrow, and their fuel-efficient creations, will soon take to the streets of downtown Houston, March 26-28 around Discovery Green Park.

We'll find out if these students can beat the 2,757.1 miles per gallon (1,172.2 kilometers per liter) achieved in 2009 by Laval University, but more than that, the students will grant us a glimpse into the fuels, technologies and transportation of tomorrow.

"By participating in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas, our team gets to take part in a rewarding program that helps us - and other teams - push the boundaries of fuel efficiency," said Maxime Lavigueur, Laval University team, winners of the 2009 Shell Eco-marathon Americas.

"We're excited to get to the course in Houston and see if we can beat the mileage our team achieved last year. We're also really looking forward to seeing what the other teams built for 2010. We all bring different knowledge to the competition and getting to see what the other teams design is a big part of the fun."

The Shell Eco-marathon is a global mileage challenge and forum for current and future leaders who are passionate about finding sustainable solutions to the world's energy challenge. Students are asked to design, build and test eco-friendly vehicles that travel further using less energy.

After three years in Southern California, the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas is heading to Houston, the home of Shell's U.S. headquarters. This year, walkers, runners and cyclists at Discovery Green Park will be replaced by cars of the future as the student teams drive their fuel-efficient vehicles on the street track.

This is the first time the Shell Eco-marathon Americas will be held on a street track, which presents new challenges in the urban street location, instead of the racetrack teams have competed on in the past. The event is also open to the public this year, so spectators can watch and cheer on the teams, or enjoy a variety of activities, including an art display by The Orange Show or a replica of the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil NASCAR car.

Similar to last year, student teams will participate in either the "Prototype" or "UrbanConcept" categories. For the Prototype category, teams will enter futuristic prototypes - streamlined vehicles that focus on maximizing fuel efficiency through innovative design elements, such as drag reduction. For the UrbanConcept category, teams will enter 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 roads today. For both categories, teams can use any conventionally available energy source - including fuels such as diesel, gasoline and liquid petroleum gas (LPG), as well as alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biomass and solar.

From vehicle design to financing, student teams manage their projects from start to finish. The winning teams in both the Prototype and UrbanConcept categories receive a grand prize of $5,000 USD for their school. Shell will also have several "off-track" awards again this year, including a "People's Choice Award," the "Safety Award," "Technical Innovation Award" and "Eco-friendly Award," among others.

The 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas roster includes 50 vehicles from 43 teams including 9 high schools and 29 universities from Canada, Italy and the United States (Note: some teams listed below have multiple vehicle entries in different categories).

The Prototype entries include 29 vehicles powered by combustion engines, two by diesel fuel, one by ethanol, five by fuel cell/hydrogen technology, one by LPG and two by solar power. The UrbanConcept entries include six vehicles powered by combustion engines, two by diesel fuel, one by fuel cell/hydrogen technology and one by solar power.

To help ensure the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas is a successful event for all the student participants, Shell is pleased to welcome the 2010 event sponsors, including the City of Houston, Autodesk, Michelin, Pennzoil Ultra, and SKF USA Inc.

The 2010 Americas event will also welcome others including Kateri Callahan, President of Alliance to Save Energy, and Peter Diamandis, Founder of the X Prize Foundation, who will join Shell CEO, Peter Voser, and Shell Oil Company President, Marvin Odum, for a series of events to discuss the energy challenge and promote action to achieve a sustainable energy future.

With more than two successful decades in Europe, this mileage challenge came back to the U.S. as the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in April 2007. The Shell Eco-marathon concept started as the Shell Mileage Marathon in 1939 between employees of Shell at a research laboratory in Wood River, Illinois.

In Europe, the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon project will take place at the EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, Germany in early May. The 2009 European event attracted teams from 29 countries, with the winning teams hailing from France, Denmark and Norway. In Asia, more than 100 teams are gearing up for the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia, taking place in early July at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

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