"We want the be the ones with the most practical car at the Shell Eco Marathon, and create the most energy-efficient car to drive the Dutch roads", says team manager Hans de Penning, summing up TU/ecomotive's ambitions. They're aiming at practicality, something Solar Team Eindhoven was very successful with last year as well. This should translate into a car seating at least two people with ample storage space.

The car should also be much more fuel-efficient than any other car driving in the Netherlands right now. The Volkswagen XL1, for example, drives 100 kilometers per liter, according to TU/ecomotive secretary Jelte Borsboom. "Our first car did 534 a liter - a conversion, of course, since it's electric. We want to top that with this one."

The EM-01, lovingly called 'Penny', was energy-efficient especially because it only weighs a little over two hundred kilos. So, the new car has to be lighter than that. It's quite a challenge, because apart from being energy-efficient and light, the EM-02 (its current working title) is supposed to be cheap as well. And cheap means: cheaper than the €6,900 Renault Twizy. Keeping the retail price in mind, the use of light but costly carbon is out of the question, for example. De Penning adds: "The Twizy may look fancy from the outside, but it's hardly practical or comfortable."

Their planning is feasible, says the team manager, although it's tight. It's especially the desired RDW approval (in March or April) that has brought the deadline forward. The design is done, and so are the technical drawings -save a few minor details- so the team can start on the actual construction of the car soon.

The Shell Eco Marathon in Rotterdam is planned for May 2014. Hundreds of teams from all over Europe participate in the event in various catergories. Last year, the Eindhoven team ended in seventeenth place (out of thirty teams) in the UrbanConcepts Electric category.

Team TU/ecomotive is realistic about their chances next year. Borsboom: "Some teams have been participating for ten years already, and they often use the same car that's been upgraded over and over. We probably won't win, but that's not really what we'll be there for, either. The Eco Marathon is a clear-cut deadline for us, and a great platform for us to present our car."