Bright Automotive looking for ATVMLP money, too
Bright IDEA EV van - click above for high-res image gallery
The amount of the money flowing from Washington, D.C. into green car companies these days is pretty astonishing (well, unless you're working on hydrogen cars). The DOE announced $8 billion in loans from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program (ATVMLP) this week, but there is at least another $17 billion left in the fund, and a lot of applicants still waiting to hear the status of their requests (more announcements are expected in the coming months).
One such company is Bright Automotive, which introduced the IDEA plug-in electric van in Washington recently. The company says that their vehicle is "the only company applying for Department of Energy loans that is developing a highly efficient plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) for commercial and government fleets." Oh, and the only one that reminds us of a duck (see this pic for an example). More details on Bright's loan application are available here. There's not enough money in the pot to give everyone what they asked for, but Bright is making the case that their leadership team has the experience needed to get the money. Some of that experience was gained from projects like the EV1, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the GM Two-Mode Hybrid. Think it's enough?
Gallery: Bright IDEA
[Source: Bright Automotive]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Serge 10:29AM (6/25/2009)
What's the story with Aptera? Did they apply? They should be a perfect candidate for these loans.
Reply
Scatter 10:49AM (6/25/2009)
I seem to remember reading that it's for 4 wheel vehicles only? Not clever.
RickM 11:04AM (6/25/2009)
"Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program (AVTMLP)"
Wouldn't that be ATVMLP?
Reply
Sebastian 2:25PM (6/25/2009)
I'm trying to think of the short, catchy phrase that one Homer Simpson uses at times like these. Can't right now, but it'll come to me
(fixed)