Shell has enlisted 11 strategic partners for next week’s Make the Future California Festival and Shell Eco-marathon Americas student competition at Sonoma Raceway. The event, which will be held on April 19-22, 2018, is expected to draw more than 1,000 student participants from 99 high schools and universities across the Americas. The event is free and open to the public to see and experience innovative solutions for more and cleaner forms of energy.

Shell Eco-marathon is a unique and challenging competition featuring student-designed and built, ultra-energy-efficient vehicles. Visitors can experience a tour of the paddock area, where bright young students prepare their vehicles to see who can go the farthest on the least amount of energy, with some achieving more than 3,500 miles per gallon. Other activities popular with Festival-goers include free virtual reality experiences, hands-on science experiments and a hydrogen and electric vehicle ride and drive.

The Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition features teams from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and the United States. Shell’s Festival and Technical partners, many of whom actively use the event as a recruitment ground, include: Agility, Altair, Delta, Honda, HP, Linde, O’Reilly, Toyota, Sonoma Raceway, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), and United Airlines.

2018 marks the 12th edition of Shell Eco-marathon in the Americas and the return to California where the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Americas student challenge took place in 2007 with less than 25 teams competing on the inside track of the California Speedway in Fontana.

“At Shell, we find some of the best ideas come from working together, and that’s why the Make the Future Festival exists – to drive conversation, collaboration and innovation around cleaner, smarter energy solutions,” said Pamela Rosen, general manager for Shell Eco-marathon Americas. “Our partners are the backbone of the Make the Future Festival, and their incredible support and shared purpose will ensure that Make the Future California is a rewarding and inspiring event for the Shell Eco-marathon student participants and visitors who attend.”

Held for the first time at Sonoma Raceway, this year’s event includes several exciting elements for visitors, made possible by Shell’s dedicated partners. In addition, many of these partners will be participating in the “Meet the Expert” activation, during which they will serve as a knowledgeable resource to answer questions and share expertise on their respective focuses.

  • Agility is supporting international freight shipping for Drivers’ World Championship.
  • Altair is providing vehicle design software to all Shell Eco-marathon teams globally, and serves as the Off-Track Award judges of the Vehicle Design Award.
  • Delta is providing travel vouchers for 2018 Shell Eco-marathon Americas students.
  • Honda is an exclusive sponsor of the Shell Eco-marathon Battery Electric Award category. It will also provide Clarity vehicles for the static display and the Ride and Drive, including the Clarity fuel cell, plug-in hybrid, and EV. Additionally, Honda will provide Off-Track Award judges for the Safety Award.
  • HP is providing IT systems and support for the Shell Eco-marathon Technical Team. HP is also showcasing technologies that are critical to the future, for example, 3D printing for sustainable manufacturing and virtual reality, as well as life sciences and quantum technologies where HP Labs research is looking further into the future. Additionally, HP is presenting on the ways the company is increasing sustainability with a circular supply chain model and advancing education through immersive computer systems and other tools, with industry-leading security.
  • Linde is the exclusive sponsor of the hydrogen fuel cell category for the Shell Eco-marathon and providing expert support in the technical inspection area for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Linde will also be activating a hydrogen virtual reality experience in the Festival, and serving as the Off-Track Award judges and sponsors of the new Most Innovative H2 Newcomer Award.
  • O’Reilly is providing subsidized auto parts on-site to the Shell Eco-marathon student teams.
  • Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is providing support for the Shell Eco-marathon Technical Team, and serving as the official sponsor of the Technical Innovation Off-Track-Award, as well as providing judges.
  • Toyota is hosting an “Environmental Thought Leadership Summit,” including a panel discussion and stakeholder engagement activities with key Toyota executives and partner thought leaders to discuss environmental sustainability and showcase its 2050 Challenge sustainability initiatives. Toyota will have vehicles available for the Ride and Drive and on static display, including the Mirai, Prius, and Class 8 Fuel Cell truck, as well as a Tri-Generation wall display inside the Festival Tent.
  • United Airlines is showcasing sustainability commitments at the United Eco-skies activation. United is also providing 10 domestic tickets for the Puerto Rican Shell Eco-marathon team, who will not participate, but only observe the competition this year, and providing additional giveaway items to the teams.

For more information on Shell Eco-marathon Americas, including additional details on Shell’s partners, please visit the Shell Eco-marathon website at: www.shell.com/ecomarathon. For more information on Make the Future California, visit www.shell.us/makethefuturecalifornia.