The One Gallon Challenge came up empty.

Potomac resident Rami Bedewi, 17, was forced to postpone his attempt to ride from New York City to Washington, D.C., on one gallon of gas after the state’s Motor Vehicle Administration had not registered his homemade car in time.

The Georgetown Preparatory School student spent one year building a plug-in hybrid car from aftermarket parts, with the exception of its frame and circuitry, which he designed and built. He had planned to put his car to the test Jan. 30, with a 240-mile journey on back roads. Despite help from Gov. Martin O’Malley, the MVA has yet to register his car.

Bedewi remains committed to the One Gallon Challenge and plans to reschedule.