Bright Automotive scores military contract

Anderson, Ind.-based Bright Automotive said today the U.S. Army's department of Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) plans to test the startup's plug-in hybrid vehicles in non-combat situations.

The aim of the $1.4 million demonstration project is to reduce fuel consumption in military vehicles. In addition, the contract calls for the Army to use the plug-in vehicles as sources of power for the electric grid.

"The ability to deliver electricity back to the grid is an important step in demonstrating the feasibility of operating military bases off the grid in the future," Bright Automotive CEO John Waters said in a news release.

Other terms of the contract weren't revealed. The deal is to be executed by a new division of Bright Automotive, Bright eSolutions, which aims to work with automotive customers and original equipment manufacturers to speed the adoption of electric-vehicle technology. The division is being led by Bright Vice President Nigel Francis, who previously was vice president of vehicle engineering for Mercedes-Benz Technology North America. 

In April, Bright unveiled its 100 mile-per-gallon plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle, the IDEA, targeted at the commercial and government fleet markets.

Bright says it was able to achieve the high fuel economy because it designed the vehicle from scratch, using lightweight materials, aerodynamic shapes, low-resistance tires, and highly efficient battery and drivetrain systems (see Bright unveils 100 mpg hybrid vehicle  and Stealthy Bright Automotive gives hints about electric car launch). The light truck weighs in at 3,200 pounds and has 1 ton of cargo capacity.

Bright said it expects to begin high volume produce by late 2012 and produce 50,000 of the vehicles annually by 2013.

The company reportedly raised $11 million of a $17 million Series A round as of February. Investors include White Pines Partners of Boston and Duke Energy’s venture capital arm Duke Investments (see Trans-India drops $375M Solar Semiconductor bid).

The company spun out of the Rocky Mountain Institute in January 2008. The work at the institute was funded in part by companies including Google, Alcoa, Johnson Controls and the Turner Foundation.

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