UC Davis Engineering Professor Andrew Frank and a team of four students are headed to Los Angeles for the Democratic National Convention to display their energy-efficient sport utility vehicle. It recently won the fuel-economy category and placed fourth overall in the nationwide "FutureTruck" contest. "The truck will be on display in the convention center, but if Vice President Gore wants to take a ride, we'll be happy to accommodate him," said Frank. "This opportunity to showcase the truck lends credibility to the UC Davis hybrid electric vehicle research program and allows us to demonstrate to the public what is possible in designing more efficient vehicles." The FutureTruck challenge was to redesign a Chevrolet Suburban, retaining its ability to carry cargo and pull heavy loads but reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The UC Davis team achieved fuel economy of 18.7 miles per gallon, an almost 13 percent increase over the standard Suburban. Frank and his students will be on hand to explain the characteristics of their vehicle from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Staples Center during the convention's Media Day, Sunday, Aug. 13. The truck can be viewed there for the remainder of the convention. UC Davis has a successful history in engineering fuel-efficient vehicles. In 1997, a UC Davis team won the national championship in the FutureCar competition, which preceded FutureTruck. The Davis FutureTruck will be joined at the convention by electric and hybrid vehicles developed by major automotive companies. The Davis team's convention appearance is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, which, along with General Motors, provided material, technical and financial support for the research project. More information on FutureTruck is available on the Web at .