STUDENTS from the National University of Singapore (NUS) will be flying the region's banner when they take part in the Shell Eco-Marathon, a race for fuel-efficient cars.

The team of six from the NUS mechanical engineering faculty are the only South-east Asian representatives at the race, which will be held in France from May22 to 24.

Their eco-friendly car, the NUS-ECO1, runs on a synthetic liquid fuel which is derived from natural gas and burns cleaner than conventional fuel, releasing less greenhouse gases. They may be the only team using this gas-to-liquids fuel.

The cars will be judged on how fuel-efficient they are. Last year's winner from Denmark managed some 300km on one litre of fuel.

The NUS-ECO1 can travel about 100km on one litre of fuel. It took the team 10 months to build the 3.04m-long car, which is powered by a 211cc engine and reaches a top speed of 45kmh.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on May 8, 2008.