WASHINGTON – University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering students brought their "Moolander 2003" hybrid vehicle to the U.S. Capitol Wednesday as part of a Future Truck Challenge competition sponsored by Ford Motor Company and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dr. Glenn R. Bower, the students' automotive faculty advisor, raised the hood and described the vehicle to Rep. Tom Petri. "It's a parallel compression ignition hybrid electric vehicle - SUV," he said. "We're using a 1.8 liter compression ignition engine, and a 100 horsepower electric motor, and we're getting a combined fuel economy around 32 miles per gallon, diesel. And we use a blend of biodiesel, so 35% of the fuel that we use is a renewable resource from soybean oil."

Petri took a turn behind the wheel after being warned that the power steering wasn't working and had to be turned off. "If the power steering worked, it would be great," Petri said. "As it is, it's a little hard maneuvering, but it seems to run real well. And the real benefit is that it's good for the environment and it's more efficient than a regular vehicle."

Rep. Tom Petri listens as Dr. Glenn R. Bower describes the University of Wisconsin - Madison's "Moolander 2003" hybrid SUV.