“Being a fuel efficient driver is easy. I’m not an expert, just an ordinary, everyday driver, but through the Shell FuelSave driving challenges, I learned that making a few simple changes to my driving habits and choosing the right fuel make a difference in making your fuel last longer,” said celebrity host and published author Bianca Gonzalez who, after completing several driving challenges last year, is fast-becoming a veteran when it comes to fuel efficiency. 

Gonzalez first took on the call of Pilipinas Shell to be a fuel efficient motorist during the Shell FuelSave Celebrity Driving Challenge in January 2014 where she drove from Batangas and through the busy streets of Manila to learn about fuel efficiency from some university students who represented the country in the first ever Shell Eco-marathon Asia to be held in the Philippines. 

Gonzalez was crowned Shell FuelSave Celebrity Driver of the Year, besting celebrities from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, at the final leg of the Celebrity Driving Challenge held on the opening day of Shell Eco-marathon 2014. Gonzalez went behind the wheel again in October to challenge everyday Filipino motorists including moms, professional drivers, and media representatives for the Shell FuelSave Good Choice Driving Challenge. 

The Driving Challenge tested their skills in making good choices on the road to help make their fuel last longer where Gonzalez walked away with a First Runner-up title under her belt. It seems that nothing could stop Gonzalez in defending her crown as she teams up once again with Pilipinas Shell to take on a different kind of challenge – discovering the extraordinary lengths Filipino motorists go through to save on fuel, and putting them to the test. 

With Shell Eco-marathon 2015 coming up, Gonzalez enlisted the help of five students from universities forming the Philippine contingent to SEMA 2015 to join her team for the Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Driving Challenge on February 11. Driving the recently-launched models of the All New Honda Jazz, All New Honda City, and All New Honda Brio Amaze, Gonzalez and the students will go head to head against select media personalities on a road trip to Clark, Pampanga. 

In this Driving Challenge, the participants will go through pit stops that will reveal interesting habits Filipino motorists practice to help them save fuel. The teams will have to distinguish between fuel efficiency fact and fiction to manage their fuel consumption, coupled with teamwork and determination, to outwit each other. 

The Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Driving Challenge is the lead up to Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2015 as Shell brings back its largest fuel efficiency educational platform to Manila from February 26 to March 1. This will be the second year that Shell Eco-marathon Asia will be held in the country, and Filipino student teams from the country’s top universities will compete once again against fellow students from countries around Asia and the Middle East to design, build and drive the most energy efficient vehicles of tomorrow. 

The Philippine teams made history last year when the De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Eco-Car Team-Electric ranked second place in the UrbanConcept-Battery Electric Category with a consumption of 66.38 km/kWH, while the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) also came in as a top contender when TIP Mileage bested over twelve other teams in the UrbanConcept-Diesel Category by finishing third with a fuel consumption of 47.44 km/L. As these students bring pride to the country once more, the Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Driving Challenge will serve as a platform to present them to the Filipino public. 

 The winner of the Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Driving Challenge will be determined during the culminating program on February 11. At the same time, Shell will also reveal highlights of the Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Report, a nationwide study conducted in December 2014 that analyses the behavior of 1,000 Filipino motorists aged 18 to 40 to understand the extraordinary lengths drivers are willing to go in order to save fuel and cut their driving costs.

 “More than just being any driving competition, the Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Driving Challenge is our way of educating Filipino motorists how to become fuel efficient. All it takes are making a few simple changes to the way we drive and using the right fuel,” explains Anthony Lawrence Yam, Pilipinas Shell Vice President for Retail. “The Driving Challenge allows our participants to experience Shell FuelSave, and the Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Report shows Filipino motorists what they should and shouldn’t do when it comes to being more fuel efficient.” Yam added. 

Ultimately, Shell wants to show everyday drivers that choosing the right fuel does not have to be a tough decision, and that Shell FuelSave is a good choice that they don’t have to think about. All motorists can be more fuel efficient by driving smarter and using the right fuel, such as Shell FuelSave – a regular priced fuel designed to last longer. To discover top tips on how to make your fuel last longer, visit www.shell.com.ph/fuelsave.

Photo credits to Bedalyn Aguas of www.mamiandfamily.blogspot.com