Student-Built Electric Car passes 300 MPH Aiming for Land Speed Record

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The Venturi sponsored Buckeye Bullet, an all-electric landspeed racer built by students at Ohio State University, set a speed of 307.66 MPH in the mile this afternoon at the Bonneville Salt Flats — and they're going again.

Using a slightly modified version 2 of the streamliner, the VBB 2.5 uses the same powertrain as the previous VBB2 but with the Hydrogen Fuel Cell used to set a world record of 302.877 MPH now replaced by A123 supplied prismatic battery cells.

The steel box tube framed and carbon fiber enclosed car is powered by a custom built 3 phase AC motor with a claimed 700+ horsepower (514 kw), driving the rear wheels via a slightly modified (longer final drive ratio?) 6 speed transaxle.