Politeknik Ungku Omar (PUO) emerged as champions for the second time in 3 years in the Perodua Eco-Challenge 2011 held at the Melaka International Motorsport Circuit (MIMC), Ayer Keroh Melaka on 25 June 2011. The team from PUO managed to clock 24.07km in their race car with half a litre of Petronas Primax 95 petrol in the longest distance category. For their effort, the team took home RM20,000 cash and trophy. PUO was the winner in the manual category of the inaugural Perodua Eco-Challenge held in 2009.
Second place was the team from University Selangor (Unisel) which managed a distance of 19.10km and won RM10,000 cash prize while twice winner in the automatic category Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) only managed third place with a distance of 17.42km this time and returned with RM5,000 cash. Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten), Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Spanish Institute and Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah (PSAS) took RM1,000 cash prize each for finishing 4th, 5th and 6th respectively. Unlike the races in 2009 and 2010 Perodua Eco-Challenge where Perodua gave a unit of Myvi and a ViVA respectively to each of the participating teams, this year the teams only received a 660cc engine (manual transmission), transmission system and RM17,500 development fund to produce a car that can go the farthest with half a litre of petrol.
In the engineering category, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) took the top prize and RM15,000, while USM the first runner up drove home with RM10,000 and second runner up Universiti Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia Spanish Institute received RM5,000. Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) which won in the design and participation category received RM5,000 and a trophy while Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) each won RM3,000 and RM1,000 respectively as first and second runner ups. A total of 12 institutions of higher learning namely Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia Spanish Institute, Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah and Universiti Malaysia Pahang participated in the Perodua Eco-Challenge 2011. The others teams include those from Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Selangor and Politeknik Ungku Omar, Politeknik Port Dickson and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka and Perodua’s own Research & Development (R&D) team also participated in the Perodua Eco-Challenge as guest teams.
Thousands of supporters from the institutions of higher learning came to cheer their respective teams in the race which was flagged off by Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam. Perodua Managing Director Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh gave away the prizes to the winners in the longest distance race. Perodua’s executive director En Zainal Abidin Ahmad presented the prizes in the engineering category and Perodua Executive Director Mr Hideki Miyake as well as Kenji Tsumura handed over the prizes in the design and participation category. A mini carnival was also held in conjunction with the Perodua Eco-Challenge. Perodua also showcased its latest model the new Perodua Myvi launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur on 16 June.
The public was also entertained to a free concert featuring several popular local artistes such as rocker Ella as well as Shiha, Ika and Salma from the reality show “Mentor” and the popular band Sixth Sense.
