The appropriately named Bright IDEA hybrid delivery van

If you were a hybrid vehicle manufacturer, and you wanted to lower the world’s CO2 emissions, would you first…

• a) Try to replace all the privately-owned gas vehicles, that mostly just drive to and from workplaces, one vehicle at a time, or…
• b) Replace entire corporate fleets of gas delivery vehicles, that typically spend all day, every day, on the road?

Well, you’re supposed to answer “b”. That’s what Indiana-based Bright Automotive wants to do with their plug-in hybrid delivery van, the IDEA. And now that they’re close to signing a pact with an unnamed major automaker, they’re one step closer to realizing that vision.

The company

Bright Automotive is a product of the Colorado-based green think-tank, the Rocky Mountain Institute. They launched in January 2008, and by the following May, were unveiling the IDEA to the world at the Electric Vehicle Symposium in Norway. The vehicle was designed with input from corporate clients, who dictated what they wanted in the way of comfort, utility and efficiency.

The Vehicle

The IDEA has a claimed 40-mile all-electric range, and gets nearly 40mpg in standard hybrid mode. This is thanks in part to its lightweight, aluminum/composite construction. By Bright’s calculations, clients will save $US.18 per mile and 1,500 gallons of fuel per year, over gas vehicles. On a larger scale, a fleet of 250,000 IDEAS should save 30 million tons of CO2 and 2.8 billion gallons of fuel over their 150,000-mile life cycle.

Read more . . .

Related articles by Zemanta

• Toyota tackles Prius’ lithium challenge with mining deal (businessgreen.com)
• Audi President: Clean Diesel Will Change Auto Industry (time.com)

Random Posts:

• From Pocket to Stage, Music in the Key of iPhone
• New Portable Energy Source Utilizes Microbes To Turn Electricity Directly To Methane
• Simpler, cheaper, biodegradable plastic without using fossil fuels
• ‘Organic’ Traffic Lights Sense Traffic And Adjust Light Timing Accordingly
• Welcome to our New Look!

Related posts:

1. New System Provides Hybrid Electric Autos With Power to Spare
2. VW shows 170 mpg tandem diesel hybrid two-seater
3. Antro SOLO human-electric-hybrid aims for double the fun
4. Mechanical bolt-on KERS hybrid for buses offers 30% fuel saving
5. UltraBattery Sets New Standard For Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Tags: bright idea, clean diesel, co2 emissions, composite construction, corporate fleets, delivery van, delivery vehicles, electric vehicle symposium, hybrid vehicle, prius, rocky mountain institute

This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 10:30 am and is filed under Automotive, Innovation, Project Energy, Promising for so many reasons, gizmag. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.