When student engineers set out to design fuel-efficient cars, some choose to rely on high-tech tools like computer simulation, while others go back to basics, with lightweight, low-impact materials like wood and rattan.  Both approaches earned honors this summer in Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2013’s off-track awards.

The actual road race, scheduled for early July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was cancelled this year due to heavy haze and air quality problems stemming from fires burning in neighboring Indonesia. But Shell recently singled out five teams from the 130 registered for the competition for excellence in designing and promoting their environmentally friendly cars.

Universiti Sains Malaysia EVT won the eco-friendly design award for the second year running for its wooden electric car, Vagabond. The