Driving from Rotterdam to Moscow on one litre of fuel may seem like an impossible task, but it isn’t. Every year, students from across Europe push the boundaries of fuel efficiency during the Shell Eco-marathon Europe, competing using vehicles they design and build themselves. Record breaking fuel efficiency is set with conventional fuels such as petrol, diesel, ethanol and GTL fuel, as well as alternative fuels like hydrogen and electricity.

This year, over 3,000 students will again compete in Rotterdam from May 15-19, expecting to improve on last year’s results. 224 teams from 24 countries have been invited to compete in two categories; the futuristic Prototype category and the UrbanConcept category, which features more conventional concept vehicles.

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Children arrive early in the morning at the Shell Eco-marathon Europe at The Ahoy centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Thursday, May 16, 2013. Teams from universities all over Europe have brought their energy efficient cars to compete in the challenge. (Bas Czerwinski/AP Images for Shell)

Children participate in the activities at the Shell Energy Lab at the Shell Eco-marathon Challenge Europe held at The Ahoy centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Teams from universities all over Europe have brought their energy efficient cars to compete through the three-day challenge. (Ermindo Armino/AP Images for Shell)