Students graduating from today's campuses are entering a world where alternative energy vehicles are becoming more reality than concept. Students at all levels of education must be prepared for this reality, whether entering college, graduate study, industry, or simply functioning as a consumer. At the Technology and Industrial Arts Department at Berea College students from an advanced power technology class initiated a project to build a lightweight, initially electric (hybrid capable), utility/research vehicle. The vehicle was intended to be utilized as a platform for ongoing research across the campus by any interested persons and/or programs. Therefore, it had to be built to go almost anywhere on campus. Additionally, this vehicle had to adapt easily to varying tasks while still providing a solid and reliable structure. This article describes the rationale behind the project, the stages of development, the final product, correlations with "Standards for Technological Literacy," and alternative applications. (Contains 1 table.)