In the world’s quest for energy solutions, the ideas and dedication of young people will be crucial.

So the Great Energy Challenge Blog will feature the stories of high school and college students who have spent much of the past year focusing on the problem of building vehicles that use less fuel. The young mechanics and aspiring engineers are participants in Shell Eco-marathon, a competition on three continents to design, build, and drive the most fuel-efficient car.

Before the students gather in Houston, March 29 to April 1, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, May 17-19, or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 4-7, we’ve asked them to share stories of their work on one of the most important engineering problems the world faces. The results they’ve