A hybrid electric vehicle designed for fuel efficiency by UC Davis mechanical engineering students will take to the road in June's FutureCar Challenge in Michigan, competing against entries from top engineering schools in the country. "The students' challenge at the beginning of the year was to modify a Ford Taurus to achieve up to 80 miles per gallon using a combination of electrical energy and gasoline combustion by incorporating the most advanced technologies available," according to Andy Frank, professor of mechanical engineering and adviser to the student team. "The requirement was that any changes made to the car must be done in a way that maintains an affordable, consumer-accepted automobile without compromising the performance or safety of the original vehicle." The 25 senior students who worked on the vehicle also incorporated an ultra-low emissions design that would eliminate most exhaust pollutants. The vehicle was also designed to have ultra-low emissions. More than 20 of the seniors are majoring in mechanical engineering. The challenge is ongoing through June 11, with a week of testing and evaluations at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. On June 9, qualified vehicles will leave the Detroit area for a two-day road rally that ends in Washington, D.C., where entries will be on display at the U.S. Department of Energy.