What: Engineering students who were awarded the top prize in the nation last week for their hybrid vehicle and mechanical know-how are returning to UC Davis. After two years of intensive research, innovation, and design, student engineers at UC Davis beat out all other students at the top engineering schools in the country in this year's FutureCar National Challenge held in Michigan and Washington, D.C. Davis students modified a Ford Taurus, converting it to a reformulated gasoline and electric-powered hybrid. They won the nation's highest honors for fuel efficiency, and for the application of advanced material and technology. The requirement of the contest was that safety, consumer acceptability, low emissions, performance and affordability all be maintained. Students had to tackle the same challenge faced by U.S. automakers. When: Tuesday, June 24, at 11 a.m. Where: The student team will drive up to the front entrance of the Engineering Building II, UC Davis (see map). Visuals: Students will be greeted by Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, College of Engineering Dean Alan Laub, mechanical engineering chair Bahram Ravani and faculty adviser Andy Frank. Reporters will be able to view the car and take a test drive. Background: The vehicle has a driving range of 1,000 miles before refueling or recharging, according to Frank. The students endured a grueling set of mechanical and electronic system tests that lasted a week prior to a 600-mile road endurance rally. Each team was given a mid-sized car (Dodge Intrepid, Chevrolet Lumina or Ford Taurus) to re-engineer. "This was certainly the highlight of my academic career," said Brian Johnston, team captain of the 30-member student group that included a combination of both graduate and undergraduate mechanical engineering students. "It was a challenging experience taking concepts taught in the classroom and applying them to a sophisticated automotive problem." The FutureCar Challenge is part of the larger Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNVG), the national public-private research program begun in 1993 to develop super fuel-efficient vehicles. u