The Northern Illinois University (NIU) Supermileage team recently took part in the 13th annual "Shell Eco-Marathon Americas" international competition, landing a first place position with a gasoline-fueled vehicle that was able to obtain 1,525 miles per gallon. To provide some perspective, that mileage is nearly equidistant to the trip from DeKalb to California! This well-known competition in the engineering community hosted 27 other competitors from around the world in early April of this year at the Sonoma Raceway.
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| The NIU Supermileage team takes home top honors at the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas in Sonoma, California. Source: Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for Shell |
Upon their first-place finish in the Internal Combustion Engine Prototype category, the team was in shock. "I honestly didn't believe it for the first three hours," team president Josh Helsper shared with the NIU Newsroom. "It still felt like someone was going to come up and tell me someone else actually won." This finish was the highest honor the team earned in its 10-year history at NIU—eight of those years, the team has taken part in this competition.
Superior Joining Technologies, Inc. is a proud supporter and sponsor to the NIU Supermileage team, offering welding and other services as needed. To learn more about the NIU Supermileage team and their journey to this prestigious award, visit the NIU Newsroom to read "NIU Supermileage Team Wins International Competition."
