• Make the Future Singapore returns for a second year, showcasing bright ideas and innovations that address the global energy challenge as part of a four-day free access festival.
  • Shell Eco-marathon remains the headline act, with over 120 student teams from Asia Pacific and the Middle East competing in the Asian leg of this worldwide programme.
  • 10 futuristic cars from Singapore will challenge their peers on the track with their own energy-efficient designs.

“Shell Singapore looks forward to hosting the second edition of Make the Future Singapore. Committed to tackling the world’s energy challenges, Make the Future Singapore is an important festival to educate everyone about the bright energy ideas and solutions that we can create together for a healthier planet. We invite you to join us at the festival as we learn, explore and journey towards a low-carbon future for Singapore and Asia,” said Ms Goh Swee Chen, Chairman of Shell Singapore.

At Make the Future Singapore, virtual reality and hands-on experiences will take visitors on a journey to explore bright ideas from around Asia, see what is happening now to power our world and get a glimpse of what the future of energy might look like. They will be able to discover what it's like to generate electrical energy by dancing, play interactive games, build and race mini saltwater cars, and meet young scientists and energy start-ups.

Headlining the festival is Shell Eco-marathon Asia, where over 120 student teams from 18 countries across Asia Pacific and the Middle East will put their self-built energy-efficient cars to the test. One of the world’s longest-running student competitions, Shell Eco-marathon is a global programme that challenges bright student minds to design and build ultra-energy-efficient cars, and then put them to the test in competition.

This year’s Shell Eco-marathon Asia will see the largest Singapore contingent ever, with 10 futuristic cars from seven tertiary institutions competing to be the most energy-efficient. Contenders from Singapore include a first-time entrant in newcomer Temasek Polytechnic, new cars from institutions like Ngee Ann Polytechnic, as well as returning teams from universities such as Nanyang Technological University and Singapore University of Technology and Design.

Participating Singapore Teams

Schools Teams Participating at Shell Eco-marathon Asia 
Institute of Technical Education
  1. ElectroLiTE
  2. DIZEL ELITE
Nanyang Technological University
  1. Nanyang E Drive
  2. NTU Singapore 3D-Printed Car
National University of Singapore
  1. NUS Electric Eco Car
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
  1. H2GO
  2. NP-TurboAce
Republic Polytechnic
  1. RP Mark 1
Singapore University of Technology and Design
  1. SUTD EV Club
Temasek Polytechnic
  1. TP ECO FLASH

Shell Eco-marathon Asia will include two key competitions this year. The longest running competition is the Mileage Challenge where teams compete to travel the farthest on the least amount of fuel. In 2017, the winning team of the Asian leg was efficient enough to travel 2,289 kilometres – the distance from Singapore to Chiang Mai, Thailand – on just one litre of fuel!

The second Shell Eco-marathon competition to take place this year in Singapore is Drivers’ World Championship Asia. Introduced to the Shell Eco-marathon programme in 2016, Drivers’ World Championship challenges the best UrbanConcept teams to combine the proven energy efficiency of their car with the speed and skill of their driver, in a race to see who can cross the finish line first on the least amount of fuel.

For the first time, Shell Eco-marathon Asia will welcome entrants from Kazakhstan, which will be represented by two universities. Students from Kazakhstan National Technical University will compete with a unique ethanol-powered car designed to perform under extreme weather and temperature conditions, mirroring Kazakhstan’s diverse climate which ranges from -40C in winter to +40C in summer.

New at the festival this year will be Make the Future Singapore Lates, a special after-hours event on March 9, 2018 for those aged 18 and older. Adults have the opportunity to explore the festival at night, participate in discussions about our energy future during Let’s Talk – an open-format casual forum – while enjoying live performances and unique food and drinks offerings. Lauv, the American singer-songwriter known for his hit tracks such as “The Other” and “I Like Me Better” will be headlining Lates. Having recently opened for Ed Sheeran on his Asia tour, Lauv will be back in Singapore to perform amidst his headline tour around the world. Local electronic pop artist Jasmine Sokko will also be playing at Lates.

Festival visitors are invited to experience a range of different activities:

  • Watch as over 120 Shell Eco-marathon Asia student teams compete to see who can travel the farthest on the least amount of fuel, culminating in the Drivers’ World Championship Asia.
  • Enjoy exclusive access to the paddocks and technical inspection areas and a behind-the-scenes look at innovative cars of the future
  • Get your groove on at the kinetic dancefloor and discover what it is like to generate electrical energy just by dancing
  • Get competitive as you build and race your own cars powered by nothing but saltwater
  • Immerse yourself in virtual reality experiences and enter an Energy Theatre to experience what our future world will look like
  • Challenge yourself to drive with optimum fuel efficiency at the Shell Eco-marathon simulators, and get a feel of what it is like to be a Shell Eco-marathon driver
  • Swing your bat and learn about Liquid Natural Gas innovations during the LNG Baseball game equipped with virtual reality headsets
  • Find out how some buses in London are being powered by waste coffee grounds at the Bio-bean station
  • See how Liter of Light powers rural homes and villages in the Philippines with a solar panel and a bottle of water
  • Explore the future of what is possible in truck design, fuel economy savings and CO2 reduction through an augmented reality experience of The Starship Initiative
  • Enjoy live performances by international and Singapore artistes including Lauv, Gentle Bones, Charlie Lim, Jasmine Sokko and MICappella
  • Chat with young scientists and energy entrepreneurs at The Bright Ideas Challenge and Shell #IdeaRefinery

“Make the Future Singapore has more than just interactive exhibits, robust discussion forums, innovative science presentations by students and the highly-anticipated Shell Eco-marathon Asia. This year’s edition also features an evening segment called Make the Future Singapore Lates, where revellers will be entertained by both local and international acts. We hope that Make the Future Singapore will inspire the next generation to put their hearts and minds together, create innovative solutions and shape our collective future for a cleaner energy world,” said Mr Jason Leow, General Manager of External Relations, Shell Singapore.

As part of Make the Future Singapore, the fifth Asian edition of the Shell Powering Progress Together Forum will be held on March 8, 2018. The forum will bring together more than 150 leaders, young talents and representatives from business, government and society to discuss, debate and catalyse cross-border collaborations to tackle future energy challenges. Themed “Energy for Better Living”, the forum will an immersive and open dialogue centred on Asian aspirations – balancing the needs of some of the fast-growing economies with the growing pressure on resources to make more and cleaner energy a reality in this region. Since the first forum in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2012, Shell Powering Progress Together has evolved into a cross-market series of connected events that foster dialogues to help address future energy challenges.

Make the Future Festivals is Shell’s global platform for conversation, collaboration and innovation around the world’s energy challenges. With events hosted in countries around the globe, they aim to provide an opportunity for multiple stakeholders: including students, entrepreneurs, businesses, governments and the public, to experience, test and contribute bright energy ideas.

Make the Future Festivals has six Global Partners:

  • Agility: Technical Partner
  • Altair: Technical Partner
  • HP: Festival Partner
  • The Linde Group: Technical Partner
  • Southwest Research Institute: Technical Partner
  • Toyota: Festival Partner

Make the Future Singapore 2018 is held with support from the Singapore Tourism Board, Ministry of Education, Science Centre Singapore, Innosparks, Strides Transportation and Borneo Motors.

For more information on Make the Future Singapore and to register for free priority tickets, please visit.

Notes To Editors:

To access previous event images, visit: Shell Eco-marathon Albums

Participating teams as of February 8, 2018

Country Number of teams
Australia 2
Brunei Darussalam 3
China 4
Egypt 7
India 10
Indonesia 26
Japan 1
Kazakhstan 2
Malaysia 7
New Zealand 1
Oman 2
Pakistan 10
Philippines 17
Saudi Arabia 2
Singapore 10
South Korea 2
Thailand 13
Vietnam 7
Total 126