Bright Automotive Turns RMI's Lightweight, Hyper-efficient Vehicle Concept into Reality ∨

Indiana's Bright Automotive is set to turn Rocky Mountain Institute's lightweight, hyper-efficient vehicle concept into reality.

The start-up vehicle company, which launched out of RMI last year, recently unveiled its IDEA--a 100 mpg equivalent plug-in hybrid concept vehicle--in Washington DC. By 2012, Bright expects to begin producing 50,000 IDEAs a year, thereby creating over 5,000 jobs by 2013.

To achieve such groundbreaking fuel efficiency, Bright Automotive is maximizing platform efficiency--incorporating lightweight materials, advanced aerodynamics and low-rolling resistance tires to use less combined energy.

On a full charge, the IDEA will operate in all-electric mode for the first 30 miles before switching to hybrid mode for a full range of 400 miles. For a typical drive of 50 miles, the vehicle consumes ½ gallon of gasoline – equivalent to 100 mpg fuel efficiency.

For details on the IDEA vehicle, see here.

For more on RMI's Efficient, Lightweight Vehicle Concept See:
Project Get Ready
How to Design a Light, Big, and Safe Car
Plug-in Hybrids Address the Other Energy Security Issue: The Grid
Design and Manufacture of an Affordable Advanced-Composite Automotive Body Structure (PDF)