A hybrid electric vehicle designed by mechanical engineering students at UC Davis will attempt to establish a mileage record this fall driving from Sacramento to Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 21. The UC Davis car, "Aftershock," took top honors at an international contest held this summer, according to adviser Andy Frank, professor of mechanical engineering at UC Davis. The car, equipped with both an electric motor and gasoline engine, has exceeded meeting the emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board. The acceleration rates are unmatched and the range of nearly 1,000 miles before refueling or recharging is the best in the country, says Frank. The professor says that electric cars that have been tested so far cannot equal the power or range supplied by gasoline-run vehicles. However, UC Davis is proving that the hybrid design does work. Frank says the hybrid design is the way to proceed for the immediate future because battery technology is not good enough yet for most California drivers.