Bio-Energy team from Hanoi University of Technology won second prize in the Ethanol category, after Luk Jao Mae Khlong Prapa team of Thailand, at the 2012 Asian Shell Eco-marathon which started on July 4 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This is the best result achieved by a Vietnamese team.

The competition attracts more than 1,000 students from 18 countries and territories across Asia and the Middle East who were challenged to design, build and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles.

The winners are the teams that go the furthest while using the least amount of energy.

In this year’s event, the Bio-Energy team raised its achievement to 455km/litre from 192km/litre in 2010’s event.

Other Vietnamese teams participated in the event included BK-ICE from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, and AT-01 and AT-02 from the HCMC University of Industry.

Shell Eco-marathon began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the US as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle. The first Shell Eco-marathon was launched in 1985 in France , and in 2007 in the US .

The inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia in 2010. Malaysia will continue to host Shell Eco-Marathon Asia until 2013, following which, the event will move to Manila , the Philippines from 2014 to 2016.-VNA