100-MPG Delivery Van Is a Bright Idea

WIRED.com - A startup led by a veteran of General Motors EV1 program plans to put thousands of plug-in hybrid delivery vans on the road by 2012 and says "America needs" the 100-mpg vehicles.

Bright Automotive gave lawmakers a glimpse Tuesday of an eco-conscious truck called the "Idea" that promises low operating costs for fleet operators and less pollution for the rest of us.

The Indiana company joins a growing number of automakers and startups promising to give us cars with cords in the next few years, but it's targeting the fleet market. It's a smart move, said Darryl Siry, a clean tech analyst with Peppercom, because there's a need for fuel-efficient fleet vehicles.

The Bright Idea (a name too clever by half!) is aimed squarely at fleet customers -- the local cable company, the post office, that sort of thing. It's got lots of room -- 180 cubic feet, to be exact -- and a 2,000-pound payload. With a 50-mile, all-electric range, the Idea sounds like a great urban delivery rig.

It has a mixed hybrid drivetrain under the hood. A gasoline engine delivers the front wheels when needed (when the battery gets low) and helps recharge the battery pack as it approaches depletion. An electric motor drives the rear wheels. Bright is still shopping for an engine supplier, but the rest of the drivetrain will use Bosch and Getrag components.

The vehicle uses composite body panels and a lot of aluminum to keep the weight down and increase efficiency and range.

The company is looking to the Department of Energy for a $450 million loan to start production, and according to Dow Jones Newswire is in "very positive discussions" with the feds.

"Americans are demanding that we save money on energy and that we create jobs," Waters said. The company would use the money to build a factory capable of producing 50,000 vehicles annually.

While it might seem odd to focus on the fleet market, Waters says it makes sense. Fleet operators are more likely to be a "rapid adopter" of new technology. That makes it easier to "make a dent" in our oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions by bringing cleaner vehicles to the fleet vehicles that spend hours a day in stop-and-go traffic. Company chairman Reuben Munger says the firm is talking to PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division and Duke Energy about adding the Idea to their fleets.