Pupils pull out of eco-challenge

9:20am Wednesday 2nd July 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

LEOMINSTER schoolchildren have been left disappointed after hearing the car they built from scratch cannot be entered into an eco-challenge.

Year 9 pupils from the Minster College were all geared up and ready to take part in the Shell Eco-marathon Youth Challenge, a competition looking for the UK’s most energy-efficient vehicle.

Pupils had been meeting every Tuesday after developing the Minster’s first after-school engineering club, but learned last week that they could not meet safety requirements in time to compete.

Oliver Tilley, for Shell, said the vehicle was missing a fire extinguisher, roll bar and safety kit and did not quite meet the minimum width specifications.

“The team are very sad not to be taking part, but are determined to enter next year’s competition.”

The Eco-marathon is part of the Rockingham Festival of Science and challenges schools around the country to build a car which to complete its course using as little fuel as possible, whilst maintaining an average speed of 15 mph.