Every year, Penn State competes in the Shell Eco-Marathon design competition where a team of students design, build and drive energy-efficient vehicles. The team is comprised of two main groups: Capstone Students and Club Members. These two units work hard to design, build, and test vehicles that get over 600 mpg.
At Penn State, we focus on the Urban Concept portion of the Shell Eco-Marathon Competition which means we are designing and manufacturing a car that looks like one you might find on the road. Our goal is to focus on making a vehicle that can combine exceptional fuel economy with practicality for every-day use. As part of the Urban Concept Class, we have students working on not only the frame and body of the vehicle but also ergonomic features such as designing the doors, driver’s seat, windshield wiper, turn signals, and various other driver-controlled electronic systems.
The Shell Eco-Marathon Team is the culmination of students interested in everything about designing and building a brand-new vehicle. From students interested in using SolidWorks to draft the chassis to those eager to get some hands-on electrical experience – the Shell Eco-Marathon Team is the perfect place for any car lover (or anyone interested in getting their hands dirty).