Echo Automotive, Inc., a developer of technologies enabling the conversion of existing fleet vehicles into plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, completed a $3-million financing with United Fleet Financing, LLC, through a private placement offering and mezzanine financing. Echo’s Chief Technology Officer is John Waters, the founder & CEO of Bright Automotive ( earlier post ). MORE

Start-up Bright Automotive, which in May unveiled its IDEA concept series plug-in hybrid light commercial van ( earlier post ), will convert VW Transporter vans with the series hybrid Bright powertrain as a bridge between the concept and the production version of the IDEA. Conversions are expensive, noted Lyle Shuey, Bright VP of Marketing and Sales, and the converted Transporters will not be as efficient as the purpose-built IDEA. MORE

About CalCars Plug-In Hybrids FAQ How to Get a PHEV Where PHEVs are Carmakers Say. Our PRIUS+ Project Photos PHEV Resources Global Warming Take Action News and Events Contact Us How Carmakers are Responding to the Plug-In Hybrid Opportunity If you ask, "have major auto-makers come around on PHEVs?", In late 2008, BYD started selling the first production PHEV in China. Has shown some concept fuel-cell PHEVs. MORE

Bright Automotive, Inc. has entered into an agreement for AM General LLC to be Bright’s exclusive North American assembler for the Bright IDEA vehicle platform. AM General will build the Bright IDEA in its Commercial Assembly Plant in Mishawaka, Ind., The Bright IDEA is an all-new, plug-in hybrid electric light-duty work-truck due on the market in 2014. MORE

Bright Automotive will unveil its IDEA plug-in hybrid concept on Tuesday in Washington, DC. Bright will then take the IDEA will to Norway in May 2009 for the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS24). The IDEA is designed to operate in all-electric mode for the first 30 miles before switching to hybrid mode for a full range of 400 miles. MORE

Bright Automotive has applied for $35 million in government grants to accelerate the production of its plug-in hybrid the IDEA ( earlier post ), and to deliver battery solutions to the industry through its engineering services arm. The IDEA is a multi-purpose, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in the light truck classification aimed at commercial and government fleets. MORE

Are You Plugged In? Here is the full text of the entire article, in case the link goes bad: [link]. Some of the first plug-in electric passenger vehicles are slated to roll onto U.S. How many plug-in electric vehicles does President Barack Obama wish to see on U.S. The president is hoping to use incentives to get one million plug-in hybrid vehicles to consumers by 2015. Bright Automotive. Coda Automotive. PHEV. MORE

Subscribe Green News Events Manufacturers Region New Cars Used Cars Filed under: Emerging Technologies , EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Lotus Lotus and Harmon partner up to add sound to hybrids by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Apr 17th 2009 at 2:54PM Its been a little while since weve heard about the supposed dangers of electric and hybrid vehicles that shut down their engines and therefore stop producing the sound of fuel being ignited and exhaled, but the issue is apparently alive and well. MORE

Bright Automotive, Inc., the developer of the purpose-built, plug-in hybrid IDEA ( earlier post ) launched of Bright eSolutions to support automotive customers worldwide to accelerate vehicle electrification, lightweighting, and overall platform efficiency. Bright eSolutions will work with TACOM to demonstrate the feasibility of Bright Automotive’s parallel hybrid technology for military non-combat use. MORE

Bright Automotive, the developer of the purpose-built, plug-in hybrid IDEA ( earlier post ), and General Motors Co. Funding through GM Ventures will allow Bright to begin ramping up the development of the production program for the IDEA in the third quarter of 2010. Bright continues to seek a low-interest loan through the Department of Energy’s ATVM program. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in July. MORE

Bright Automotive, the developer of the purpose-built, plug-in hybrid IDEA ( earlier post ), has been awarded one of five contracts by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to develop and test an electric postal delivery vehicle. earlier post ); AC Propulsion and AutoPort ( earlier post ); and Germany-based international transportation engineering firm EDAG , with whom Bright eSolutions is also collaborating. MORE