SwRI Supports Sustainable Mobility Marathon

By Dr. Steven Dellenback and Steven Marty

As the U.S. and other countries around the world aim for netzero greenhouse gas (GHG) economies by 2050, decarbonizing the transportation sector will play a critical role in addressing climate change and protecting human health and the environment. Transportation is the largest source of GHG emissions in the U.S., which are 97% carbon dioxide.

The transportation sector needs to eliminate nearly all GHG emissions using a holistic strategy to create a clean, safe, secure, accessible and affordable mobility system with sustainable transportation options for people and goods.1

For a little over 10 years, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has served as a Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) sponsor, providing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach as well as evaluation of the latest efficient and automated driving technologies. These annual engineering competitions challenge hundreds of student teams from around the globe to design, build, test and drive ultra-energy-efficient vehicles. SwRI staff provide technical and engineering support and present one student team with an award recognizing innovation.

SEM shares many of the same sustainability goals and has a similar philanthropic mission as SwRI, which focuses its outreach activities on STEM programs. SEM events provide the next generation of engineers and scientists around the world with the opportunity to collaborate as teams and explore current and future vehicles and energy that will shape a lower carbon future for all.

As one of the largest independent engine, fuel and lubricant research and development organizations in the world, SwRI is well-positioned to provide the SEM teams with the support they need to compete. Plus, using more than 20 years of experience developing automated driving solutions, the Institute is developing techniques to reduce vehicular energy consumption using next-generation connected and automated driving technology.

Read the full article.

Steven Marty (right), vice president of SwRI’s Fuels and Lubricants Research Division, brings automotive specialists to support the safety and technical evaluations of the student developed ultra-energy-efficient vehicles participating in the Shell Eco-Marathon. Dr. Steve Dellenback, vice president of the Intelligent Systems Division, brings connected and automated vehicle specialists to lend their expertise to the pre-race inspections as well as the automated driving competition held in France.