WARREN, MI - The U.S. Army has been delivered a prototype electrified vehicle from Bright Automotive for review and testing. Based on its performance in developing the vehicle, the Department of Defense has awarded a new contract to refine the hybrid and vehicle systems to near production-intent, according to a release from Bright Automotive.

Bright Automotive is working under contract with the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research Development & Engineering Center's (TARDEC) National Automotive Center (NAC) to develop a vehicle for non-tactical, transport applications. The vehicle is a commercial utility vehicle retrofitted with plug-in hybrid powertrain based on the company's Bright IDEA, a multi-purpose, plug-in hybrid EV aimed at commercial and government fleets. It features technologies such as a custom battery pack, 50+ mpg efficiency, and integrated vehicle to grid (V2G) capabilities that could improve base transportation efficiency and provide temporary power to the base electrical grid in the event of an emergency.

The vehicle delivery took place at the U.S. Army's Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Mich., where TARDEC officials drove the vehicle and tested its vehicle-to-grid power export capabilities. The delivery marks the culmination of an October 2009 contract from the Department of Defense to develop an electrified retrofit of a commercial utility vehicle for non-tactical, inter-base troop transport applications, according to the release.