A school in St Paul, Minnesota turned to airfreight when students entered a global eco-car challenge.
St Thomas Academy was one of many educational establishments to accept the challenge of oil giant Shell to design, build, test and drive an ultra-energy-efficient vehicle.
The single-person vehicle, weighing around 114 kilograms and with a top speed of 35 mph, was sent to London via Minneapolis and Chicago in preparation for Shell Eco-marathon Europe 2018 which will take place in London, UK from July 5-8, 2018.
Amy Nugent, principal of the school’s marketing agency says, says: “The Experimental Vehicle Team has participated in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas for many years. This will be the third year that Shell has hosted the Drivers’ World Championship in London, bringing together the winners of the Eco-marathon Americas, Europe and Asia to compete against one another. The Saint Thomas Academy team has competed in the DWC every year and was the World Champion last year.”
The car boasts street-legal lighting, 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, full roll cage, seat belt and 5-point safety harness to protect the driver in the event of a crash. It is battery-electric powered. The move was handled by Agility Logistics.
Team members and two faculty advisors will travel to London for the competition in July. The vehicle will be shipped back to the US following the competition.
