Examiner.com

One of the more interesting innovations on display at the recent 2010 Chicago Auto Show (CAS) was a collaboration between Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) and Bright Automotives. The IDEA a brand-new, 100-mpg plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) fleet vehicle outfitted with Bridgestone’s Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia tires.

According to Kurt Berger, Manager, Consumer Products Engineering, “What makes these tires special is that the Ecopia H/L 422 utilizes post-consumer recycled rubber and features Bridgestone’s cutting-edge NanoPro Tech Technology that adds to fuel efficiency and CO2 reduction by controlling the interaction between polymer filler materials and other rubber materials.”

It is the first-ever tire for SUVs, CUVs and light trucks that incorporates Ecopia technology to help drivers achieve improved fuel economy without sacrificing wear or wet handling performance. Additionally, the Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia tires are made with a new Fuel Saver Sidewall compound.

Calling itself “A new automotive company for a new era in America,” Bright Automotive designed the IDEA as a new tool for commercial fleets. Corporations and governments purchase thousands of light-duty vehicles each year. At best, these vehicles average 15 mpg, while the IDEA can achieve 65 mpg.

With its focus on fleets, Bright can make a greater impact by getting cleaner vehicles on the road in bigger numbers. For example: a fleet of 250,000 IDEAS will save 30 million tons of CO2 and 2.8 billion gallons of fuel over the vehicle’s projected 150,000 mile life cycle.

Conceived with an aerodynamically friendly design, IDEA requires less fuel to accelerate and stay in motion because of its sleek shape that reduces drag. Couple that with low-rolling resistance tires, such as the Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia, which minimize friction and raise fuel economy about 6 to 9 percent.

Because of a focus on lightweighting, the IDEA will achieve at least 7 percent increase in fuel economy. Instead of retrofitting outdated, heavy frames and chassis, Bright Automotive planned from the ground up to integrate parts, improve systems to work with fewer components and replace steel with lightweight and stronger materials.

The company’s designers note that sustainability is embedded into the IDEA's entire life cycle. It is constructed with natural fibers and recycled materials, manufactured using eco-friendly methods and offers a competitive advantage that works for Bright’s customers and is good for the planet. Here are examples of products incorporated into IDEA’s sustainable interior:

• Recyclable aluminum door inner panel
• Recycled, durable flooring (automobile tires)
• All-natural Ecobond headliner
• Low-energy LED lighting
• Renewable Fibrowood instrument panel top cover
• Renewable, non-skid cork surface

Based in Anderson, Ind., Bright Automotive plans to begin mass production in the first quarter of 2013 at an annual rate of 50,000 units and expects to generate 5,000 jobs. The IDEA on display at CAS was a concept vehicle.