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Michelin’s Annual Eco Challenge heads east with a host of hi-tech, environmentally friendly cars battling it out for top spot in Shanghai, China.
One week after the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit (SIC), the paddocks and pit lanes were busy again with cars lapping around the track. There were 150 vehicles to be exact and around 2000 people present, but they were not there to race. Not on the circuit, at least.
The SIC was used to hold the 2004 Michelin Challenge Bibendum, an annual event that started in 1999, and is aimed to promote automotive technology that saves fuel, cuts emissions and increases recycling. Participants mainly consisted of car manufacturers and auto-related businesses, while the visitors are made up of journalists, politicians and the public.
The circuit was for the visitors to test-drive the show cars. There was a good mix of prototypes and production vehicles, with most of them using fuel cells, bio-diesel and hybrid petrol/electric systems.
The fuel-cell cars are mostly hydrogen powered, while the bio-diesel examples used renewable resources such as corn, vegetables, cooking oil and so on. The hybrid engines ran on either petrol or diesel, combined with battery-powered electric motors.
There was a friendly competition held for these cars also. Those who took part had to complete an 88-kilometre route around the Shanghai city, and were evaluated on the following: acceleration, braking, slalom, noise, fuel efficiency, carbon dioxide (CO2), range and emissions.
Out of the 74 cars that took part, Toyota came in first with its gasoline-hybrid Prius, followed by Audi with the A8 3.0 TDI in second and Mercedes-Benz F-Cell A- Class in third. The average consumption for the diesel and gasoline propelled cars was 5L/100km, with a handful managing an incredible 3L/100km. The fuel cell vehicles averaged a range of 300 kilometres. In general, these results are twice more impressive than four years ago.
Our vote for the most radically engineered vehicle goes to the hydrogen peroxide driven Habo No.1. You normally use hydrogen peroxide as hair bleach, but a Chinese firm, the Shanghai Habo Chemical Technology Company, managed to make it into an alternative fuel!
“The Habo No.1 may look like any other Volkswagen Santana, but the by-products of this car are water vapour and oxygen,” said the project director.
“We wanted the Habo No.1 to look more special and probably give it a different bodyshell. However, we only had three months to create a working prototype to make it for the (2004) Challenge Bibendum,” he continued.
Including Habo No.1, there were 43 Chinese-developed environment-friendly vehicles displayed. Some of them were production-ready, but what kept the makers from introducing their systems is mainly due to the lack of infrastructure. Hydrogen filling stations is a good example. With its rare existence, it’s just not possible for car manufacturers to mass-produce fuel cell vehicles, which rely on hydrogen as an energy source.
Shanghai hosted the Challenge Bibendum because due to the rapid growth of the Chinese automotive market, traffic congestion in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai is severe, petroleum prices are rising drastically and according to China’s Department of Pollution Control, the smog level has worsened by three folds for the last five years.
The Chinese government began encouraging companies to look into alternative fuels some 20 years ago. It hopes to find a kind of fuel that’s made of locally abundant materials and emission-free.
Aggie Krasnolucka
is Programmes Director at the FIA Foundation where she looks after its portfolio of road safety interventions as well as leads the Motorcycle Initiative – a global hub of interventions working towards improving motorcycle safety across areas of helmet safety, infrastructure, technology, and legislation.
Previously, she worked across different areas of the international development context including community outreach and engagement, road safety, access to health, private public partnerships as well as fundraising and communications. Aggie holds a master’s degree in social anthropology as well as linguistics and literature.
Professor Wong
is currently a Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, University Putra Malaysia. He has been serving the department and the University since 1997. During his service, Professor Wong was seconded to Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), a Statutory Body in Malaysia (with MIROS Act 2012) and a national research institute in Malaysia in December 2007 as the Director of Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Research Centre. He was then appointed as the Director-General of MIROS in August 2011. His 10-year secondment to MIROS ended in September 2017 and was appointed to be the MIROS Board Director. In February 2022, Professor Wong is appointed as the Chairman of MIROS Board of Directors. Professor Wong is also appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Qatar University. He served as the Special Advisor on Road Safety to the Minister of Transport and Communications Myanmar till 2021. He was appointed to serve in the Steering Committee of the United Nations Road Safety Fund from 2022 to 2024. Recently Professor Wong was appointed as the Fellow of the Academy of Science Malaysia.
Professor Wong has driven the drafting, deliberation and enactment of MIROS Act 2012 by the Parliament of Malaysia. He is also directly and indirectly involved in establishing numerous national and international initiatives and interventions in Road Safety, amongst them are rear seatbelt law, national implementation framework of UN WP29 Regulations, enforcing various UN Regulations on Road Vehicles, airbag fitment, ASEAN New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) for Malaysia, Guideline for Road Safety Audit, Code of Practices for Transport Sector under OSHA Malaysia, ISO39001 road traffic safety management systems and the competence requirements for auditing and certification in ISO17021-7, Pilot implementation of ISO39001 in Malaysia, use of electric cars, motorcycles and bicycles, in-depth crash and accident database, Automated Enforcement System, Mandatory of Electronic Stability Control System, Revision of Drive Under Influence, Malaysian Accident Emergency Call Systems Initiative, Endorsement of 2015 ASEAN Declaration on Road Safety Strategy by ASEAN Transport Ministers, road safety recommendations to the Government of Myanmar with in-Country Expert Mission to Myanmar, and many others.
Mr. Michihiro Toki
is a seasoned mobility and road safety expert with over 25 years at the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF). He currently serves as Manager of the Project Development Division in JAF’s Traffic Environment Department, leading national road safety campaigns and sustainable mobility initiatives.
Mr. Toki began his career in 1998 as a roadside assistance patrol officer, gaining hands-on experience with the diverse challenges faced by drivers in Japan. He transitioned to membership promotion in 2006, working with automotive dealers to expand JAF’s member base.
In 2018, he assumed a leadership role at the branch level, overseeing road safety, motorsports, and public relations. As a JAF Certified Safety Advisor, he delivered safety lectures, managed motorsport activities, and led public outreach. Promoted in 2021 to Section Manager, he expanded his role to include Safety Advisor training, PR strategy, and membership benefit development.
Appointed to his current position in 2024, Mr. Toki now directs the training of Safety Advisors nationwide and develops interactive programs for diverse audiences, including international drivers. He collaborates with government and industry partners to tackle traffic safety issues.
Beyond JAF, Mr. Toki serves on national bodies including the Sub Study Group for Advanced Safety Vehicles (MLIT), the Cabinet Office’s Traffic Safety Forum, and as Vice-Chairman of the Training Commission at the Japan Automobile Education Foundation.
Mr. Toki is recognised for his dedication to public safety, his strategic leadership in mobility initiatives, and his deep commitment to enhancing the driving culture in Japan.