![Two men pose next an electric car](/sites/default/files/styles/ucd_panoramic_image/public/media/images/father-of-the-electric-car.jpg?h=8e58fdb5&itok=nwOyMdcy)
Widely known as the “father of the plug-in hybrid,” Professor Andrew Frank championed an approach to fuel-efficient vehicles that combined gasoline engines with electric motors running on rechargeable batteries. Frank’s students built a number of prototype vehicles for the U.S. Department of Energy “FutureCar” and “FutureTruck” competitions, and this approach is now in use by major auto manufacturers.