This event is an opportunity for young construction engineers from several dozen countries to present the vehicles they have designed and built themselves. The challenge for the teams is to travel the farthest on the equivalent of one litre of fuel or one kilowatt hour of power.

The teams will face off in two categories: UrbanConcept (vehicles which meet the requirements necessary to participate in urban traffic) and Prototype (cars without such limitations, designed for maximum performance). In addition, each category includes a separate classification which takes into account the type of propulsion used.

Students from Warsaw University of Technology will visit London to showcase the Orion – a petrol-fueled urban vehicle. It is the second, after PAKS, vehicle of this type built by SKAP. The new structure is a monocoque, i.e. structural skin. The hull is made entirely of carbon fibre, which ensures the appropriate rigidity and load transfer while maintaining low weight, which is one of the most important criteria in the design of low-consumption cars. Another feature that sets the Orion apart is its advanced electronics, designed entirely by the students, based on a CAN data bus, which is used in the automotive industry. Its telemetric module makes it possible, for example, to remotely turn on particular lights and even start the engine. The dog clutch with synchronizer, designed with the support from a Rector’s Grant, enables gentle start-up and the adequate transmission allows the vehicle to reach the maximum velocity of 50 km/h. However, maximum speed is not relevant in the competition. In last year’s debut, no result was achieved. However, the design received a special mention in the Off-track Award: Design category. After a year of intensive work, the team expects the Orion to be able to travel 400 km per one litre of fuel.

Six Polish teams will take part in the Shell Eco-marathon. Besides the Warsaw University of Technology team, the race will feature students of the Gdańsk University of Technology, Lublin University of Technology, Łódź University of Technology, Silesian University of Technology and the State Higher Vocational School in Krosno.