This week, members of Frito-Lay's Fleet Sustainability team joined Bright Automotive, a start-up commercial vehicle manufacturer, in Washington, D.C., for the corporate unveiling of the IDEA, a 100-mpg plug-in hybrid electric van.
Bright Automotive originated from a workshop conducted by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) that brought together companies with fleets and automotive component manufacturers to design and develop an environment-friendly vehicle that meets the needs of customers who operate commercial fleet systems and are committed to environmental sustainability.
The IDEA van gets five times the miles-per-gallon fuel efficiency of any other commercial vehicle on the market today. And, the entire vehicle was developed with sustainability in mind -- designers removed unnecessary trim and panel coverings from the exterior and used recycled tires for floor coverings in the van's interior.
The relationship between Frito-Lay and Bright Automotive comes as no surprise, as we've worked to create an industry-leading fleet system that is continually looking for new, economically viable and sustainable solutions for our fleet.
Steve Hanson, Frito-Lay Fleet Sustainability Manager, tells us that his team, "has been impressed with the development and design work done by Bright to-date. We are actively looking for ways to partner with them in advance of the scheduled production start for the IDEA vehicle in 2012."
Frito-Lay celebrated the unveiling of the IDEA vehicle in Washington, D.C., a sustainability milestone for fleet systems. Dave Haft, Vice President of Productivity and Sustainability for FLNA, provided a customer's perspective on the future of fleet systems: We are actively looking for sustainable vehicle solutions that will power our fleet system in the future. The only options on the market today are conversions of existing vehicles; whereas the Bright Automotive's IDEA is a purpose-built vehicle, making it transformational and sustainable.
View a brief video of Dave Haft presenting at the event:
Good to see you are addressing the environmental concerns within the trasnport industry
Posted by: hgvlgv | November 04, 2009 at 10:22 AM