By Justin Schneider, Herald Bulletin Online Reporter/Manager
justin.schneider@heraldbulletin.com
WASHINGTON - The matching green neck ties of the Bright Automotive team sent a clear message: There is money to be made in clean energy.
Anderson-based Bright unveiled its 100 miles-per-gallon vehicle, the "Idea," on Tuesday in the nation's capital, just in time for Earth Day.
"The promise of plug-in vehicles and smart-grid technology is not a dream, it is achievable today, here in America," said Bright President and CEO John Waters. "Working with great companies and the most experienced team in the industry, Bright Automotive believes the Idea can be at the center of a new energy paradigm."
Bright split its time between the House and Senate Tuesday, delivering a presentation in the Cannon building on the House side of Capitol Hill in the morning, then moving over to the Dirksen building on the Senate side in the afternoon.
But the business community reinforced Bright's aim with its presence at both sessions.
"The Idea and other electric vehicles clearly represent the future of transportation in the U.S.," said Keith Trent, Duke Energy Group's executive and chief strategy, policy and regulatory officer. "By reducing our dependence on foreign oil, such vehicles will dramatically improve our national security and play a key role in improving our air quality."
Waters calls the Idea, the first "purpose-built, highly durable 100-mile-per gallon commercial utility vehicle." Where the Toyota Prius is aimed at the consumer passenger-car market, the idea boasts 180 cubic feet of interior space and a payload capacity of 1 ton, positioning it for commercial fleet use.
After each briefing, those in attendance were led down to a Washington street, where a covering was ceremonially drawn away from the vehicle, revealing a sleek minivan. Guests were invited to sit in the driver and passenger seats and the side and rear doors were opened to allow a look inside.
Deputy Energy Secretary Heather Zichal passed on the blessings of the Obama administration.
"I wanted to come on behalf of the administration just to carry the strong message that the work you're doing here today, to invest in and create new energy jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, is exactly what President Obama is talking about with his clean energy plan for the future," Zichal said. "For decades, Washington has ignored the energy crisis, imperiling our economy, our security and our planet."
Bright has applied for a $450 million grant through the federal government to begin mass production of the Idea by 2012. On Tuesday, that proposal represented a bipartisan consensus among Indiana leaders, Sen. Evan Bayh and Rep. Mike Pence.
"The opportunity to create common ground, to create jobs at a time when the industry is struggling, to free us from our dependence on energy imports, at a time when our current account balance is much too high, to improve our nation's security which is undermined by being dependent on places such as the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, to improve our climate and to deal with that issue at a time when congress will be taking that up later this year, all these things come together today in a single announcement," Bayh said. "I'm proud of the fact that it's an Indiana company once again leading the way. We have been at the epicenter of today's and yesterday's automotive industry. This gives us an opportunity to be at the forefront of tomorrow's auto industry as well."
Bright seems to bring the necessary qualifications to lead the next wave of the automotive industry. Waters developed the battery for GM's first electric car, the EV1, and his team includes former Chrysler and Delco Remy employees. The company enjoys support from Google, The Rocky Mountain Institute, Alcoa, Johnson Controls and the Turner Foundation. It hopes to produce 50,000 vehicles a year beginning in 2013.
"America is poised and ready for a transportation and energy revolution," Waters said. "Our nation has reached a tipping point. We all recognize that current automotive products present unacceptable alternatives for the United States' energy security, our environment and our economy."