Bright Auto. Upgrades IDEA PHEV to 40 Miles of Electric Only Range and 36 MPGBright Auto. Upgrades IDEA PHEV to 40 Miles of Electric Only Range and 36 MPG

In response to owners of the IDEA PHEV commercial vehicle, Bright Automotive has upgraded the vehicle to deliver 40 miles of electric only range and almost 40 mpg in hybrid mode.
As Bright Automotive said CEO John E. Waters said, “After speaking to major fleet operators and measuring how they use their vehicles, we modified the performance of the IDEA to better suit their needs and to save them even more money. The IDEA was created by listening to customers and developing innovative solutions to meet their needs — customers remain our top priority as we continue vehicle development.”
The increased range and additional hybrid efficiency comes via a new, enlarged 13 kwHr battery pack.  The new packs lends to a 40 mile EV range and a class leading 36 mpg hybrid range.  According to Bright, the additional EV range will allows many fleet customers to operate entirely gasoline free.  Also, as Bright Auto said of the recent upgrades, “The result (of the upgrades), a fleet of 250,000 IDEAS will save 30 million tons of CO2 and 2.8 billion gallons of fuel over their 150,000 mile life-cycle.”
The Bright Idea commercial vehicle is designed to save a typical fleet customer more than 1,500 gallons of gasoline per year.  The IDEA is estimated to be 5 to 10 times more efficient than comparable gasoline vehicles and is eligible for electric vehicle tax credits which added together can save a fleet customer thousands per year.  The recent upgrades to the IDEA make it an even more enticing upgrade option for fleet accounts.

Source:  Bright Automotive Press Release 
ANDERSON, IN (October 20, 2009) – Bright Automotive, Inc. (www.brightautomotive.com) today announced new performance figures for the IDEA, its revolutionary plug-in hybrid electric commercial vehicle.  The IDEA has been upgraded to deliver 40 miles of all electric range and nearly 40 MPG in standard hybrid mode.  Each IDEA vehicle will save typical fleet and government operators 18 cents per mile, reduce gasoline use by 1,500 gallons per year, and reduce CO2 emissions by 16 tons per year.
Detailed calculations and assumptions are included below.
“The IDEA enables fleet owners to go even farther in EV mode, creating greater cost and environmental impact savings,” said John E. Waters, CEO and President of Bright Automotive. “Congress and the Administration are demanding change in the auto industry. Bright Automotive is answering the nation’s call by maximizing economic value for our customers through performance and sustainability, while applying the battery electric vehicle tax credits available under current federal policy.”
The performance figures are the result of a new 13kwHr battery pack, which allows the IDEA to operate for 40 miles in charge depletion (EV) mode, and then switch to a class-leading 36 MPG (minimum) charge sustaining (standard hybrid) mode. For many fleet operators, the added EV range will allow them to operate almost entirely gasoline-free. The result: a fleet of 250,000 IDEAS will save 30 million tons of CO2 and 2.8 billion gallons of fuel over their 150,000-mile life-cycle.
“After speaking to major fleet operators and measuring how they use their vehicles, we modified the performance of the IDEA to better suit their needs and to save them even more money,” said Waters. “The IDEA was created by listening to customers and developing innovative solutions to meet their needs — customers remain our top priority as we continue vehicle development.”
In just over a year, Anderson, Indiana-based Bright Automotive developed the IDEA — a revolutionary multi-purpose, PHEV in the light truck classification aimed at commercial and government fleets.  The IDEA, announced on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last April, is 5 to 10 times more fuel efficient than current commercial fleet vehicles. Each IDEA will save a typical fleet customer more than 1,500 gallons of gasoline and thousands of dollars in fuel costs annually.
Bright Automotive has leveraged the industry’s most experienced EV/PHEV team to develop the IDEA, a revolutionary, purpose-built, PHEV utility fleet vehicle. Bright Automotive CEO John E. Waters developed the battery pack for the General Motors EV1, while collectively, the Bright Automotive team has, previously in their careers, developed and launched close to 40 vehicle platforms.
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Assumptions

Gas prices at $3.15/gallon in 2013 (U.S. Department of Energy estimate)
Drive cycle of 80 miles/day, 5 days per week, 50 weeks/year = 20,000 miles/year
Utilizes “LA92” drive cycle (considered most realistic EPA cycle – city/highway mixture)
150,000 miles vehicle life (equates to 7.5 years)
Competitive comparisons based on weighted average volume of 2007 plus 2008 model year sales
Fuel economy, range and vehicle performance numbers are based on an unladen vehicle
Macro measures (CO2 and fuel savings) are based on a laden vehicle

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