Electric prototype developed by engineering students beats 76 competitors in international energy-saving challenge
The UFMG Mileage team has just placed Brazil at the top of the podium of the Shell Eco-Marathon United States, the largest energy efficiency competition in the Americas. In an unprecedented feat, the students from Minas Gerais created an electric car with very low consumption and won the event held in Indianapolis between April 7 and 11, 2026, becoming the first team from Latin America to win a title on American soil.
SEE ALSO:
The protagonism of Minas Gerais was not close. Competing against 77 other teams from countries such as Canada, Mexico and the USA, UFMG’s electric prototype reached the impressive mark of 469.7 km/kWh. To get an idea of the technological dominance of the Brazilians, the advantage for the second place was 40 km/kWh.
If a BYD Dolphin Mini, with current batteries, had this performance, the subcompact would travel about 18,000 km without recharging, giving an idea of the energy efficiency of the mining project. In addition to the historic trophy, the team took home a prize of US$ 3 thousand (about R$ 15,150), which will be fully reinvested in the development of the next prototypes.
Founded in 2005, the UFMG Mileage team is made up of about 30 students from various engineering courses (mechanical, electrical, metallurgical and control and automation). The group was already four-time champion of the Shell Eco-Marathon Brazil, with victories in 2018, 2022, 2023 and, most recently, in August 2025, in Rio de Janeiro.
The project focuses on the development of vehicles capable of traveling the longest possible distances with the lowest energy consumption. For the members, the title in the United States represents the culmination of a 20-year work of research and technological innovation within the university.
