UC Berkeley 2002 SAE Team Vehicle

With the help of TAP Plastics of El Cerrito, UC Berkeley students took top honors in fuel-economy competition at 1,068 miles per gallon. Their vehicle won the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Student Design Supermileage Competition held in Marshall, Michigan. Berkeley's 2002 entry, "The Bear" beat out 20 other colleges by squeezing an efficiency of 1,068.69 miles per gallon from its standard-issue fuel bottle. For its stylized exterior, the team used materials from TAP such as various fiberglass fabrics (E-Glass Cloths), TAP X-30 Polyurethane Foam, and TAP Gel Coat.

Next year, the team plans to modify the stock engine to eke out a few more fuel-efficiency miles. With TAPs' continued support, UC Berkeley Society of Automotive Engineers hopes to duplicate the same feat it had achieved during the past year.