A team of students from Miguel Hernández University of Elche has presented the Dátil 26, an energy-efficient vehicle that will compete in the Shell Eco-marathon Europe and Africa 2026.
The international competition will take place from June 24 to 28 at the Silesia Ring circuit in Poland, bringing together more than 2,000 students from 120 university and secondary-school teams.
UMH will once again compete in the internal-combustion prototype category, in which the Elche-based university has established a strong record in recent years. The team has regularly finished among the top five and secured third place last year after achieving fuel efficiency of 1,473 kilometres per litre.
This year’s project involves 16 students from the Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Electronic and Industrial Automation Engineering degree programmes. Eight team members will travel to Poland, led by student Lucía Muñoz Bordera and coordinated by Professor David Abellán López.
The Dátil 26 is an upgraded version of the university’s previous prototype. It has a chassis made entirely from carbon fibre and an aerodynamic teardrop-shaped body. The vehicle measures three metres long, 60 centimetres wide and 50 centimetres high, and weighs just 30 kilograms.
The team has concentrated particularly on testing different tyres and analysing rolling resistance in an effort to reduce fuel consumption further. The students have also developed a dynamometer and introduced new strategies for managing the vehicle’s electric motor systems.
Their objective is to improve on last year’s third-place finish by drawing on their previous experience at the same circuit. Mechanical Engineering student Eva Guerrero will once again drive the prototype, bringing valuable familiarity with both the vehicle and the competition.
The Dátil 26 was presented in the presence of UMH Vice-Rector for Students and Coordination José Juan López, team coordinator David Abellán and Rafael Herrero, director of IES Cavanilles in Alicante.
