An Electric Car Built by Students Sets A New Land Speed Record

An ultralight electric car, built by a US based university, has set a new land speed record in its class by surpassing the previous mark by nearly 80Km/h.

Called Electric Blue, this E1 streamliner has been designed and modified by more than 130 students of Brigham Young University (BYU), who have been working on this project for over 10 years. Their car has averaged 330Km/h on two qualifying runs this month. Interestingly, the previous record of 250Km/h in this category, too was set by the same BYU car in 2011.

"When we set the record three years ago we felt like we left a lot on the table," said BYU student and team captain, Kelly Hales.

"On paper we thought we could get 200 mph but we never had the conditions just right-until now," he added.

The car set the record this month in front of about 180 teams and their cars at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Jim Burkdoll, president of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, drove the car to set the record, which was certified by the Southern California Timing Association.

The reason behind calling the Electric Blue a streamliner is its long and slender shape with enclosed wheels that reduce air resistance. The Electric Blue is in the E1 category, which means it weighs less than 1100 pounds.

Students of BYU custom-built the lightweight carbon fiber body of Electric Blue over a six-year duration, with the help of computer programs that model wind tunnels. The car's aerodynamic shape and lithium iron phosphate batteries helped it reach its high speeds over the last four years of runs.

"We were going to retire the car last year when head faculty advisor, Perry Carter, left for an LDS mission, but we petitioned for one more year," Hales said. "Now the car will officially retire with a record we think will be unbeatable for a while.