The first American Smart Car, a fuel-efficient microcar that has sold widely in Europe, was recently auctioned through eBay – and UC Davis' Institute for Transportation Studies benefited. The auction attracted 71 bids and 29,000 viewers, and the 60-miles-per-gallon car sold for $35,350.

Santa Rosa-based ZAP is the manufacturer of the Smart Car, distributed half of the proceeds to UC Davis' Institute for Transportation Studies and the other half to the American Lung Association to underscore its commitment to clean air and to finding advanced transportation solutions.

UC Davis alumnus Gary Starr co-founded ZAP (Zero Air Pollution) and currently serves as the chairman of the board. Starr built his first electric car while taking an electrical engineering course at UC Davis out of "junk parts and a dune buggy frame." He feels strongly about the United States' dependence on oil and wants to offer alternatives.

"The Smart Car is one of the most fuel efficient cars produced. It is a bridge to the next generation of vehicles. Fifty-six percent of oil comes from outside the country, so we are more vulnerable and dependent than ever before. One of the best things you can do for the environment is to drive an electric car or an energy-efficient car," Starr said.

Starr has helped build ZAP into a leader in advanced transportation technologies and energy products. He wanted UC Davis to receive the proceeds as a way of investing in the future of transportation.

"ITS is focused on bringing alternative transportation systems to the marketplace," Starr said. "Their work in electric vehicles and biodiesel closely parallels what ZAP believes is the future of transportation."

Dan Sperling, the director of ITS-Davis, said the gift from ZAP helps the institute continue to push the boundaries of transportation research.

"The clean vehicle industry is young, so a gift like this is especially gratifying. Kudos to ZAP for recognizing the value of great research and education cleaning the air and improving energy efficiency," Sperling said.

For more information on the Institute for Transportation Studies, visit www.its.ucdavis.edu.