The story of the $1,000,000 van

44 thoughts on “The story of the $1,000,000 van”

1. How do I get my 8 minutes of life back? Piss poor ED – wtf?

2. General Motors invested in it but it’s all Chrysler pieces?

3. what is the YouTube channel that owns the van now? I want an update!

4. Amazing! Someone just forwarded this to me. So glad the IDEA is still around!

   I was a co-founder of Bright Auto. This was a very rough prototype (show car) to showcase the design and functionality of the concept, but was NOT intended to be a working car- hence no heat, wipers, etc.

   Bright is a very long story but the concept was to electrify delivery and service fleets. This was a plug in hybrid (as in 2010 batteries were super expensive), with an innovative “through the road” architecture where the rear axle was electric drive to complement the traditional front ICE. The van could drive on EV for about 35-40 miles than switch to hybrid drive.

   The style of the van was due to the focus on aerodynamics to improve efficiency and range.

   Bright was the first investment of GM Ventures ($5M) and was on track to produce these for fleets, but got hammered by the “Great Recession.” We were very close to getting a DOE loan (the one Tesla got) but why we didn’t is a story for another day.

   I can confirm a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this prototype. Thank you for saving this and honoring the engineers who worked on it.

5. The "Bright Idea" is a stupid name.

6. Well. The technology to build this van is bieng used industry wide. The glue on body panels, aluminum constructions, and electronic internal parts.

7. What makes you think you're qualified to give anybody advice?

8. To be honest, that's a slick little van. I'd drive it. .. and I don't even like vans

9. There's a waste of 8 minutes

10. By the time they are done getting it to where it can run and fix the windows and the wipers. It will cost them 6 million dollars. So it’s a fitting name for it. 😂

11. It looks remarkably like a Transit Connect

12. Looks like a futuristic Hearse.

13. Cool, but Aging Wheels Coda is a better "i bought a prototype" story.

14. I posted the below comment on a climate change video.

    I could design an electric vehicle that is as convenient as a gas powered vehicle.
    It would be necessarily ugly and shaped like a minivan and use about a third the amount of batteries as the current market leaders and be able to do a cross country trip with ten to fifteen minute repower stops every two to four hours of travel. It would be about the cost of an ordinary vehicle with a battery lease agreement.
    Of course I doubt very much that anyone would actually want me to build this vehicle because it wouldn’t fit the virtue/ wealth signalling lip service climate alarmists actually want.
    https://youtu.be/-NF8HyjnO8g

15. Not sure why USA is trying to do what Europe and Asia do so well 🤣🤣🤣🤣

16. Link for who got van?

17. I would have said Jay Leno

18. "we have the technology…"

19. The dash definitely looks like something from a 2010 Chrysler

20. it looks like it was meant for the post office

21. You guys feed is flooded with those #shorts videos… I’m not a fan … I watched all those videos. It feels cheap…. youtube needs to give us a way to filter it.

22. The world still needs a RWD V8 minivan

23. I think, it should go to boostedboiz they have a turbo honda van . Carbon fiber van would go crazy

24. If it wae intended to be a dune buggy rec vehicle the lack of heat, a/c, wipers and roll-down windows wouldn't be a problem. For a road-going vehicle for gov't use (USPS?) a problem. By the time all these things (and perhaps others needed to meet safety inspections: no wipers = fail in my state) are added & sorted out the weight & cost go up perhaps cancelling any advantages the prototype had.

25. Million dollar van, with Saturn Ion Redline stock wheels.

26. Good sales lesson if you get a offer from someone that hasn't seen or experienced your product there not a serious buyer and if you agree to there offer they will show up expecting to get it at half the offer because they smell blood in the water

27. Cars have souls.. I felt that

28. Being 1 of 1 makes it so cool and special

29. I thinkone of the original engineers of this van should own it

30. Man. I'd have that vans windows working wiper arms heat and ac in no time

31. The waffle house has found its new host

32. hey guys love the video but how he says to ring the seller on marketplace to make an offer, dont do that guys thats just wasteing peoples time to be fair.

33. So if there's any good news about this story it is never purchased anything that you don't understand and have no plan as to how to value it. Comphrende. Cheers🥂

34. 3:43 that's Lithium batteries for ya

35. I'll give you $🎄50 for it. 😆 The front kinda reminds me of the Honda element

36. Many cars have souls, EXCEPT Honda Accords with an automatic transmission.

37. This thing needs to be in a museum just for future references to be able to look back on it

38. It's silhouette reminds me of the Mercedes-Benz Metris vans!

39. awesome to listen… as always

    well done Travis

    👊

40. Another good one. I remember when you txt me about the “Six Million Dollar Van” …… Love the shirt Palomino ! – Rabbit 😎

41. the picture appear to be vito with butchered body word ? (paused at 2:27)

42. just looks like a Vito with skirts

43. Great story.

44. love the content but definition of a thumb head lmao

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