Students at the University of Kansas have built what may be the coolest hybrid ever – a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle–series hybrid that burns biodiesel and gets about 50 mpg.

The Super Beetle had been rusting away on a used car lot until it was donated to a mechanical engineering class led by professor Chris Depcik. He turned it over to a group of environmentally conscious engineering students who call themselves the EcoHawks. Over the course of a year, they installed a series of 10 lead-acid batteries and a biodiesel generator. It isn't very fast – even by Beetle standards – but it runs.

"We have driven it around and reached approximately 30 mph, but this was more of a proof-of-concept drive without pushing the boundaries," Depcik told Autopia. "We are currently getting the vehicle into road-ready shape to be driven safely in order to determine these values."

Depcik estimates that it will be ready to pass a Kansas state inspection "with flying colors" by May 2010. Yeah, but why a Beetle, of all things?

Depcik says it was a natural, given the ready availability of parts. It's not as if there aren't a lot of Beetles out there, given that VW built 21.5 million of them before production finally ended in 2003.

They also liked the idea of making an old car cleaner and more efficient. And then there's the fact the team saw the Beetle as a pop-culture icon that could draw attention to the project. That ploy worked – we *love *this thing. It's like a really cool Chevrolet Volt but without the plug-in capability.

Depcik figures the project cost about $25,000 and most likely wouldn't turn a profit if replicated on a larger scale. Still, he has hope for vehicle recycling and conversion as an alternative to electric cars built from scratch. The EcoHawks say rebuilding and repurposing the old Bug prevented the release of anywhere from 3 to 12 tons of carbon dioxide.

"If the vehicles were in good shape requiring no body or vehicle work, and a 'kit' involving a battery pack, battery charger, generator and electric motor could be created, it may be possible," he said. "I would love to see it happen. The main items are determining how to put all of the components in the vehicle while also figuring out how and where to connect the electric motor."

The Beetle's new drivetrain features 10 lead-acid batteries – chosen because they're cheap – that provide juice to an electric motor. A small diesel generator, which runs on 100 percent biodiesel made from cooking oil collected from the campus kitchen, keeps the batteries going. Wired.com wanted more specs on the system, but Depcik kept mum.

Although the Beetle's top speed is estimated at 45 mph, the students are working on Hybrid Beetle 2.0. Once the car passes inspection, Depcik and the EcoHawks plan to tear it apart again and make it a plug-in hybrid. Looking further ahead, they'd like to configure the electric drivetrain to work with generators powered by ethanol and propane, and possibly upgrade the batteries. Such mods will almost certainly reduce the car's 3,640-pound curb weight (the original weighed about a ton), so the fuel economy and top speed should increase accordingly.

But first, it has to pass inspection.

"I really want them to drive it around town in order to demonstrate what KU engineers can accomplish," Depcik said. "We will cross that hurdle after the car passes inspection. Insurance is expensive for university vehicles, so that may be the limiting factor, unless a sponsor or insurance company helps us out. The key concept here is that there is really nothing different than a real car on the road now."

Photos: University of Kansas EcoHawks. You can download a .pdf of the project's technical paper.

*This may be the only original Beetle you can't hear coming six blocks away.

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*The original Beetle had just one lead-acid battery under the back seat.

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*The original Beetle's dashboard was nowhere near this complex.

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*The generator runs on 100 percent biodiesel made from old cooking oil.

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*It runs!

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