Meeting the team behind the electric land speed record-holder

VBB-3 is four-wheel drive, with two identical but independent drivetrains front and rear. Each comprises two electric motors coupled to a common shaft, feeding more than 1000bhp to the axle through a two-speed gearbox that’s made in the UK by Hewland. The torque split between front and rear axles is variable, with a front-biased split preferred in order to avoid 300mph powerslides…

In 2015, all runs were made either entirely in first or second gear, inherently compromising either top-end speed or low-down acceleration. This year, with a full day of test runs behind them, the team got the 3.5-tonne streamliner changing gear without upsetting its stability at the 270mph shift point.

Working with suppliers such as Hewland or title sponsor Venturi, through which the custom-made electric motors and 95kWh worth of A123 Systems battery cells are sourced, is one way in which the Bullet programme helps to prepare its students for life in the car industry. Another is the opportunity to use industry-standard digital design and simulation software. And when the drivetrain components have been assembled in the workshop at OSU’s Center for Automotive Research, they are tested on rigs designed and built by the students themselves.

Managerial experience, logistical planning, sponsorship sourcing, marketing the car and even conducting media interviews are all part of the project, too. No wonder graduates who have worked on the Bullets are highly sought after by employers, with multiple job offers not uncommon from car makers, race teams or the growing number of West Coast tech companies moving into the automotive arena. One graduate to have made a name for herself is Kim Stevens, who worked on the packaging and body shape of VBB-2 and is now track aerodynamicist at the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team.

With the record broken, the Bullet team won’t be resting on its laurels. “We set out with the goal to do 400mph and we’d still like to achieve that,” says student team leader Michael Johanni. “Based on an initial review of our data from Bonneville, the numbers are reassuring. The potential acceleration and top speed are there, if we do some tweaking and find the right course to race on.”

Read our list of the fastest cars in the world here

It’s unlikely that a faster twoway average speed will be achieved at Bonneville without a major improvement in the salt conditions. That’s not expected any time soon, if ever, despite the efforts of the Save the Salt Coalition to replenish the fragile surface. This year’s record was set on an 11-mile track, but Schroer reports that it was still bumpy for several miles at either end.