The tapering tail is no secret among scientists for improving stability and fuel efficiency. Many high-mileage concept cars feature just such a design to smooth the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Now imagine applying the same concept to container trucks that log more miles in a year than most of us travel in five.

A Dutch public-private enterprise did just that, adding a 6 foot long tail to the end of a tractor trailer truck. The results from two years of testing were a 7.5% increase in fuel efficiency, and thus a similar decrease in emissions.

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Trucking is among the most important, yet polluting parts of our environment. Everything everywhere was delivered by a truck, unless you live on a farm. A necessary evil, if you will. Getting truckers on board with the green movement will play an integral part in the widespread acceptance of alternative fuel vehicles. To do that, you’ve got to hit them in the wallet.

Towards that end, last week Vision Industries, with the help of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, unveiled a short haul, hydrogen-powered truck dubbed the Tyrano.

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Indiana-based Bright Automotive has released some pretty impressive performance figures for its technically (and aerodynamically!) slick new IDEA cargo van. Aimed primarily at delivery fleets and in-town rental companies, the freshly-upgraded guppy promises to shave operating costs by thousands of dollars per year, per van.

More pictures, an official company press release, and my own opinions (that nobody asked for) after the jump.

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What does that mean? The most effective greening of purchasing involves thinking about your entire inbound supply chain with an overriding purpose in mind: to select and purchase goods and services that are affordable, and have the least possible environmental impact throughout the course of every phase of their lifecycle including manufacturing, shipping/transportation, use, and recycling or disposal. And, contrary to popular belief, green purchasing does not always have to mean higher costs—although sometimes it will. In fact, by greening your supply chain you can often streamline your purchasing process, reduce overall costs, and improve your environmental footprint.

There are five good supply chain strategies that can be used to reduce waste. You can start by considering strategies that reduce the physical distance between where materials are sourced and where they are used. These strategies not only help reduce travel-related emissions, but also often result in shorter times to market and lower inventory holding costs:

Buying local is an excellent greening strategy. There significant social, environmental, and economic benefits to creating local economies. At this writing, some thirty-six cities and towns—from Albuquerque to Tampa—have adopted programs to label and promote locally owned businesses. It is always worthwhile to check with your vendors about the availability of local products and materials. Buying local also provides business owners with more control over their materials and end products. As an example, one wholesale distributor of locally grown food products in Michigan tells the story of being able to deliver poultry products that are cut to customer specifications quickly and on a regular basis, something that would be impossible if he were using larger, more distant vendors. The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is a good resource for finding a local business network in your area.

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The Arctic Council has recently reported that global warming is causing more shipping to travel through the Arctic region, resulting in actual and potential harm to marine wildlife. As is already well known, marine based birds and seal pups are highly sensitive to oil and frequently die of hypothermia if oil pollution damages their feathers or fur. As more shipping—ranging from container vessels to oil tankers to cruise ships—is using Arctic waters, the risk of major oil spillages increases but the actual incidence of minor spills resulting from trimming vessels or flushing tanks is growing and remains largely unreported by shipping lines.

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The Auriga Leader, a Japanese owned NYK cargo ship capable of carrying 6,400 cars and using over 300 solar panels as part of its power supply was docked in Long Beach yesterday, and just departed. It is the first commerical cargo ship employing solar power technology to reduce diesel emissions. The solar panels can supply up to 15% of the vessel’s electrical power when docked. The ship will probably return to Long Beach in about 30 days, and could be available for visitation. Call the Port of Long Beach to find out specific details about the possibility of seeing the solar panels. The ship is in the service of Toyota, carrying its’ vehicles from Japan.

• » See also: Check out a 1BOG Solar Installation in the SF Bay Area
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At 665 feet long, and about 100 feet deep and wide it has a carrying capacity of 60,000 gross tons.  1.6 million dollars was the cost of the solar technology - to install and make it operational. The Auriga is the first in a generation of new cargo ships which will use solar power to reduce their diesel consumption. Emissions from cargo ships are a globally massive source of air pollutants…” just 15 of the world’s biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world’s 760m cars” according to a recent publication. Shipping pollution has been found by research to contribute to human deaths.

The Long Beach port is one of the busiest in the nation, and is a very large air polluter due to the activities of large ships and approximately 100,000 diesel trucks. The Long Beach and Los Angeles ports may be the number one polluter in the state of California. A special report was produced on the problem by California Connected.

Solar technology used by the Auriga Leader is a small attempt to start reducing emissions from cargo ships. Lessons learned from the Auriga can be utilized for solar technologies on other vessels, which will need to start going green if there is to be any reduction in air pollution and carbon emissions. NYK engineers are considering similar solar power installations for their 800 other ships.

The Port of Long Beach has been making efforts to reduce air pollution and was commended recently with an EPA Green Flag for trying to slow cargo vessels as they motor towards the docks, in order to reduce their emissions.

Image Credit: ships-info.info

In this writer’s opinion, Bright’s IDEA—with its 40+ mpg efficiency and massive cargo room—is the perfect platform for a modern, low-emission RV in the spirit of VW’s classic camper vans (above).

Surely, all the benefits of more cost-effective operation and reduced environmental impact that make Bright’s IDEA van ideally suited for delivering hardware and lumber apply to the RV market as well, and with that market’s B-class “weekend” RVs primarily powered by large conventional V8s and (relatively) low-efficiency diesels, the IDEA van could make a strong case for itself, indeed.

Looks like there’s plenty of room back there, anyway…

If you were to ask John Waters, Bright’s President and CEO, about building an IDEA-based camper, I doubt he’d try to talk you out of it. I’ve already dropped him an email—if I hear back, you can bet I’ll post his response in the comments.

Official press release on the next page…

Bright Automotive Announces Performance Upgrade for Revolutionary 100 MPG IDEA Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

ANDERSON, IN (October 20, 2009) – Bright Automotive, Inc. 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.

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.

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

Source and Image Credits: Bright Automotive via Autoblog Green; amandabhslater’s Flickr Page, under a Creative Commons License.

Significantly for observers, commercial fleets are beginning to view the Northwest Passage as a viable option for getting from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

“The ice is more favourable than in past decades,” said Capt. Georges Tousignant of Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping, “It’s navigable, it’s not that high-risk.”

And it’s not just Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping that is interested in navigating the Northwest Passage, the Canadian Coast Guard has seen an increase in the number of ships that entered the Northwest Passage. The longer that good shipping conditions continue, the more companies that will view the Passage as a viable transit route.

Unfortunately for the polar bears and infrastructure built reliant on permanent ice in the north, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that ice melt rates have increased. In May of 2009, ice melted at a rate of about 54,000 square kilometers per day throughout the Arctic. Average May ice melt has traditionally been closer to 47,000 kilometers per day.

The implications of all this ice melt is that similar to the long-term melting of permafrost, there will be less of the dangerous multi-year ice that impedes shipping every year. And therefore every year there will be increased shipping, and increasing attention to the viability of the Northwest Passage.

With increasing attention being paid to the Northwest Passage, watch for its status under international law to become a point of contention along with other northern concerns such sovereignty and related territorial claims.

Image: ashatsea (Creative Commons)

In this writer’s opinion, Bright’s IDEA—with its 40+ mpg efficiency and massive cargo room—is the perfect platform for a modern, low-emission RV in the spirit of VW’s classic camper vans (above).

Surely, all the benefits of more cost-effective operation and reduced environmental impact that make Bright’s IDEA van ideally suited for delivering hardware and lumber apply to the RV market as well, and with that market’s B-class “weekend” RVs primarily powered by large conventional V8s and (relatively) low-efficiency diesels, the IDEA van could make a strong case for itself, indeed.

Looks like there’s plenty of room back there, anyway…

If you were to ask John Waters, Bright’s President and CEO, about building an IDEA-based camper, I doubt he’d try to talk you out of it. I’ve already dropped him an email—if I hear back, you can bet I’ll post his response in the comments.

Official press release on the next page…

Bright Automotive Announces Performance Upgrade for Revolutionary 100 MPG IDEA Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

ANDERSON, IN (October 20, 2009) – Bright Automotive, Inc. 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.

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.

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

Source and Image Credits: Bright Automotive via Autoblog Green; amandabhslater’s Flickr Page, under a Creative Commons License.

UPS has been taking steps to go green for years now, but this Christmas season, they’ve taken their fuel-saving efforts to yet another level. In order to keep up with the holiday mailing demand, they continued a program that they tested out last year - using bikes to deliver packages.

Obviously, this can’t be done everywhere, but in locations with seasonally warm weather, this is an option that is saving 17 gallons of fuel per every three bikers on the road. On top of that, they’re saving money on vehicle maintenance costs and cutting down on emissions.

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But there’s also another problem with shipping that might not immediately be on your radar: noise pollution.

According to reports on noise in the ocean by Reuters, man-made noise (made mainly by large ships and oil rigs) are threatening whales, sea turtles, and other animals that rely on sonar and sounds to communicate. Experts say that these animals can become scared or confused at the sounds, causing them to dive erratically without considerng the water pressure changes.

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Thanks to my other gigs, I’ve got plenty of used packing materials laying around, all of which I reuse, or give to my kids for their art projects. In fact, our Christmas wrap is made entirely from brown packing paper stamped with carved potato stamps.

However, while you may not have those types of packing materials right in your closet, you probably have a few other things in there that will work well, and that won’t create more waste than necessary this holiday season.

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My Essentia mattress arrived in a much smaller box than I was expecting, due to their sustainable shipping efforts. The mattresses are compressed and rolled so they will take up less space on shipping trucks. But this is just the beginning of Essentia’s environmental commitment:

At Essentia, we fully understand the responsibilities of being a manufacturer in today’s society. That’s why we develop and manufacture products that produce 93% less waste during production than most mattress manufacturers. Derived from renewable resources, our 100% biodegradable memory foam are good for both the environment and consumer health.

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You find yourself needing a warehouse, or needing a bigger one then you have. Maybe you don’t need a warehouse, but managing all the nittie gritties is extra hassle you’d rather not have. Or perhaps your customers aren’t just local anymore, and your carbon footprint is getting larger because of the shipping. What to do?

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Fuel prices cannot be controlled, but transportation costs can be cut by eliminating waste.  For example, according to the National Private Truck Council Benchmarking Survey, approximately 25% of trucker miles are driven empty without cargo on return trips instead of being filled with another company’s outbound transport.  Backhauling, using an empty truck’s return route to carry cargo, has long been used by recyclers, for example, since the cost of transportation often outweighs the value of the cargo. There’s no reason why any business cannot use backhauling as a shipping strategy for deliveries that are not very time sensitive.

What else can a small business do? 

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Okay, so maybe foam peanuts and the other demons in the legion of packaging materials are not the creations of some sinister mad hatter, some oily oligarch, some short-sighted sorcerer’s apprentice, some wizard hiding in a city that is decidedly not emerald green. Nevertheless, the foam peanuts are steadily spreading with every package sent by air, sea, or ground. And this fact begs the question: Can they be stopped???

Take heart, my fellow Earthlings, for we do have an easy and eco-friendly way to say “YES!” to this question: Bubbla.

Although it may not have the name of a saving knight in shining green armor, Bubbla offers just about anyone–from large businesses shipping countless packages per day to the lone house dweller sending birthday gifts to family–a way to put a stop to the rampaging horde of foam peanuts. (Besides, how silly does “foam peanuts” sound?!)

Bubbla is an “on-demand” air-inflated packaging system produced for over 12 years now by Bubbla, Inc., a company in Canoga Park, California. (Believe it or not, the owner of Bubbla actually invented air-pillow packaging material, and the company owns four patents in this area. Obviously they know their stuff!)

Whenever you need some packaging material, you just make it using either the tabletop or freestanding Bubbla machine, both of which are easy to operate (with touch-screen controls), small (about 25” tall by 15” deep), and can be plugged in to a good old electric wall outlet. The machine quickly cranks out a supply of air-inflated packaging in one design or another (e.g., diamond wrap or long cells) to meet your demand. Make as much as you need, when you need. No fuss, no muss.

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UPS can talk all it wants about eliminating left turns on their driving routes, but if you’re adding 2-3 legs to the flight getting it there, that makes for a long, carbon intensive trip. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

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Japan’s biggest shipping company – Nippon Yusen KK – is going to be working with Nippon Oil Corp to develop solar panels capable of partially powering their vessels.

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A new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) finds that humans have had a heavy impact on more than 40 percent of the world’s oceans. That’s an area of more than 55 million square miles, or more than 144 million square kilometers.

NOAA researchers combined data from about 17 different human activities — including fishing, fertilizer runoff, shipping and pollution — to generate a global map on how those factors are affecting the oceans.

The marine regions suffering the most include the East Coast of North America, the North Sea, the South and East China seas, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Bering Sea and parts of the western Pacific. So far, the polar seas remain the least impacted (give climate change a little more time, though, and that could soon no longer be the case).

“The extent of human influence was probably more than any of us expected,” said Kenneth Casey, a co-author of the study, which will be published in tomorrow’s (Feb. 15) issue of Science.

In those areas, the ecosytems facing the greatest threats are coral reefs and seagrass beds, both of which are critical habitats or nursey grounds for fish, as well as coastal mangroves.

Maybe this latest study will help further weaken one of the arguments used by climate change deniers, the one that says humans are too puny to wreak large-scale damage to a planet the size of Earth. Puny, yes, but damaging? Without a doubt.

In this writer’s opinion, Bright’s IDEA—with its 40+ mpg efficiency and massive cargo room—is the perfect platform for a modern, low-emission RV in the spirit of VW’s classic camper vans (above).

Surely, all the benefits of more cost-effective operation and reduced environmental impact that make Bright’s IDEA van ideally suited for delivering hardware and lumber apply to the RV market as well, and with that market’s B-class “weekend” RVs primarily powered by large conventional V8s and (relatively) low-efficiency diesels, the IDEA van could make a strong case for itself, indeed.

Looks like there’s plenty of room back there, anyway…

If you were to ask John Waters, Bright’s President and CEO, about building an IDEA-based camper, I doubt he’d try to talk you out of it. I’ve already dropped him an email—if I hear back, you can bet I’ll post his response in the comments.

Official press release on the next page…

Bright Automotive Announces Performance Upgrade for Revolutionary 100 MPG IDEA Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

ANDERSON, IN (October 20, 2009) – Bright Automotive, Inc. 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.

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.

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

Source and Image Credits: Bright Automotive via Autoblog Green; amandabhslater’s Flickr Page, under a Creative Commons License.

The commercial vessel, MS Beluga SkySails, sets sail with 10,000 metric tons of freight using a computer-guided kite to harness powerful ocean winds and reduce fossil fuel usage.

Comments from the crew…

“Huh. It works.” Captain Lutz Heldt just nodded approval.

In this writer’s opinion, Bright’s IDEA—with its 40+ mpg efficiency and massive cargo room—is the perfect platform for a modern, low-emission RV in the spirit of VW’s classic camper vans (above).

Surely, all the benefits of more cost-effective operation and reduced environmental impact that make Bright’s IDEA van ideally suited for delivering hardware and lumber apply to the RV market as well, and with that market’s B-class “weekend” RVs primarily powered by large conventional V8s and (relatively) low-efficiency diesels, the IDEA van could make a strong case for itself, indeed.

Looks like there’s plenty of room back there, anyway…

If you were to ask John Waters, Bright’s President and CEO, about building an IDEA-based camper, I doubt he’d try to talk you out of it. I’ve already dropped him an email—if I hear back, you can bet I’ll post his response in the comments.

Official press release on the next page…

Bright Automotive Announces Performance Upgrade for Revolutionary 100 MPG IDEA Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

ANDERSON, IN (October 20, 2009) – Bright Automotive, Inc. 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.

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.

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

Source and Image Credits: Bright Automotive via Autoblog Green; amandabhslater’s Flickr Page, under a Creative Commons License.

This New York Times article has me again pondering the crossroads of eco-friendly products and economies of scale. 

While I’m a big fan of the cleaning power of baking soda, vinegar, Borax and lemons …a decent homemade shampoo is still beyond me!  It took me a while, but I found a skin care line that I like; not only because the ingrediants are simple and organic, but because the packaging is recycleble.

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