The history of the Shell Eco-marathon stretches back over 50 years. It originated at Shell’s research lab in Illinois, US, with friendly wagers between fellow scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicles. From these humble origins, where the winner scarcely achieved 50MPG, more organised competitions evolved.

In 1977, Shell organised the first competition at Mallory Park essentially for student teams. In 1978 the competition grew further and an open class was introduced. In 1985, the first European Shell Eco-marathon was held in France and the record was 680 km on a litre of fuel. Today, the recent records are equivalent to driving from Paris to Beijing with less than 4 litres of gasoline. Over the years, the fuel economy record has been rapidly improved. The most recent record was set at the 2003 Rockingham event by team Microjoule from St Sebastien/Loire in France. They achieved a fuel consumption figure of 10,705 miles per gallon - beating the previous record set by the same team in 2001 by nearly 500 mpg.

To optimise their energy efficiency, Shell Eco-marathon vehicles are built using original technical solutions based on wide-ranging research. Participating teams take up the energy challenge and work on a large number of parameters: engine mechanics, chassis, aerodynamics, tyres, driving techniques, etc.
 
Preserving the environment means improving energy efficiency from traditional fuels, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, and also using cleaner fuels such as LPG, hydrogen, solar energy or biomass.

Since 1985, the longest distance covered on a litre of fuel in the Shell Eco-marathon has risen from 680 km to 3,836 km. This increase shows that considerable gains can still be made in energy efficiency. The introduction of alternative energies opens new perspectives for this unique project.
 
By covering the equivalent of nearly 4,000 km on a single litre of fuel, the winning vehicle in the Shell Eco-marathon is making an important step in preserving the environment by helping to minimise CO₂ emissions.

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