Electric Blue prepares to race on the salt flats of northwestern Utah. (BYU)
PROVO, Utah, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- An ultralight electric car -- an E1 streamliner called Electric Blue -- just set a new land speed record for vehicles in its class, averaging 204.9 mph during two qualifying runs this month on the Bonneville Salt Flats of northwestern Utah.
The car is the product of more than 10 years of design work by some 130 Brigham Young University engineering students. And the students and Electric Blue actually just beat themselves, as the car is simply updated version of the same E1 streamliner that set the previous record in 2011. The newer Electric Blue shattered the old car's speed of 155.8 mph.
"When we set the record three years ago we felt like we left a lot on the table," Kelly Hales, BYU student and team captain, said in a press release. "On paper we thought we could get 200 mph but we never had the conditions just right -- until now."
Called a streamliner because of its long, slender design -- with wheels enclosed inside the body to improve aerodynamics -- Electric Blue competes against other cars in the E1 class, which include electric cars that weigh less than 1,100 pounds. Heavier electric cars have posted faster speeds.
The car's body was custom-built by the BYU students using lightweight carbon fiber; the design was finalized after years of perfecting the lines with the help wind tunnel modeling. Lithium iron phosphate batteries power the car's electric engine.
The program was almost retired two years ago, after the head faculty advisor, Perry Carter, left to go on a mission trip, but manufacturing professor Mike Miles stepped in to keep the program alive. He and the students were assisted by a large donation from Arizona philanthropist, land developer and businessman Ira Fulton.
"This was kind of the last hurrah; we wanted to give them one final shot," Miles said. "Ira Fulton kept chipping in financial support and we're so grateful he did because the results were fantastic. I congratulate Perry Carter, Kelly Hales, and all of the students who worked on this project, for an amazing achievement."
