It takes a few hundred million years or so for fossil fuel to form. But it took us all of 200 years (the industrial revolution) to deplete a massive amount of the available oil reserves. The impact on our planet is irreversible, so the priority is to develop technologies that are more efficient while we look for alternative, sustainable sources of energy.
Global multinational energy company, Shell, is on a mission to minimise the use of the ever-shrinking resources at our disposal. At the inauguration of its new technology centre in Bengaluru, the focus was on sustainability. The company has invested heavily in green programmes, from finding ways to convert household trash and agricultural waste into useable sources of energy to testing diesel extracted from waste.
While this man-made diesel may be years away from being commercially available, what does seem a lot more closer to being a possibility is the Shell concept car which was the star attraction at the event. Conceptualised and designed by Gordan Murray (better known for his contribution to Formula 1 and being a key player in designing the McLaren F1 supercar), the miniscule car is built for maximum efficiency and minimal emissions. About eight engineers spent 800 hours optimising the 660cc, three-cylinder petrol motor sourced from Mitsubishi to make it more efficient. A special engine requires special care, so Shell tailor-made an engine oil from its Shell Helix Ultra to come up with the thinnest lubricant (OW 12) ever made by the company. This helped the car achieve an extra 5 percent more economy.
We did have a go in this interesting science project on wheels but unfortunately, the drive ended almost as soon as it began. Sorry, no exhaustive report here. But what we can tell you is that getting into the car is quite dramatic as the front of the car opens like a clamshell and this includes the windscreen as well. The seat is placed in the middle (like in the McLaren F1), and that feels a bit odd at first. There's the gear knob on the right and the door release button on the left. I fiddled around with these buttons trying to locate the air-con controls but, to my surprise, there were none. Kevin Doyle, who tested this car extensively, tells me, this car was made for the UK, “It's quite cold there and mostly raining so we didn't fit an AC." He also said that 38kpl would have been difficult to achieve with one.
With a sweaty palm, I thumb the starter and the car comes to life; it sounds more like a two-cylinder at idle with a fair share of vibrations from the engine. As we started moving, the car felt jerky at slow speeds. Kevin told us that it's the automated manual gearbox sourced from the Smart car, which had developed a problem. This is the very car that was tested extensively at the Millbrook Proving Grounds in the UK and it was definitely not in its prime. But Kevin had some interesting numbers for us; this little car can do 156kph and can go from 0-100kph in 15.8sec. However, I’m convinced it's the surreal 38kpl that will stick to most minds like hot oil.
Though still very much a concept, Gordon Murray and Shell’s idea of a green car seems tailor-made for India. Maximum efficiency, minimum emission is after all the need of the hour.