The news was announced by the Secretary for Trade and Industry, Stephen Byers, in London on Monday 19th April.
Millennium Product status is awarded to companies or products at the cutting edge of British creativity and invention. "To be recognised in this way so early in the project's development is a real bonus to the teams efforts to be the worlds fastest electric car." Said driver Don Wales, "So far we've barely scratched the surface of what we aim to achieve. There is a great deal to come from this project in terms of speed and innovation."
Bluebird Electric broke the British Electric Land Speed Record in May last year. Now the team is aiming to beat the world record, currently held by the American "Lightning Rod" team. "Our intentions are simple; to become the fastest - and stay the fastest. Which probably means over 300mph within two years and over 400mph eventually." Added Project Director Martin Rees.
Bluebird Electric is at the pioneering edge of EV technology and uses the latest motors and drives available. Currently those are brushless DC units delivering "well over 100bhp" to each rear wheel through reduction epicyclic gearboxes. The motors have been specially developed by the Electric Machines and Drives Group at Sheffield University who have been pioneers in the field for most of the past decade.
Currently, Bluebird Electric uses lead acid battery technology, but the project is exploring a variety of energy technologies for the future. "EV technology issues are hot news at the moment, none more so than in battery and fuel cell technologies", continued Project Director Rees, "The Bluebird project must be seen as using the best technologies available and it is in dialogue with several companies to explore the very best energy delivery systems available".
Don Wales, Bluebird Electric's driver faces a double-edged challenge. To smash the Electric Land Speed Record, and to shatter the public preconception that EV's have all the performance and charisma of a milk-float.
Don said, "I hope that we can be part of the process that proves electric vehicles can be fast, fun and environmentally friendly."
In fact, a brand new Research and Development operation for the Bluebird Electric project opened earlier this month at Brawdy, in the county of Pembrokeshire West Wales, UK. The project has initially moved into a new engineering workshop adjacent to the 57,000sq ft facility it will take over in September where it will develop a state of the art technology centre for the development of electric vehicle drivetrain.
The move to Wales re-established links forged in the 1920s by Don Wales's grandfather, the legendary Sir Malcolm Campbell whose own Bluebirds broke the Land Speed Record three times on Pendine Sands in West Wales. Sir Malcolm's son, Donald Campbell was Don's uncle. Donald Campbell held both Land Speed and Water Speed Records before being killed in 1967, at Coniston, attempting to increase his own world water speed record.
Don Wales recalls his family's Land Speed heritage by calling his electric powered car "Bluebird" but he is well-aware of the future potential of the Bluebird team's quest for electrically-powered speed. He is absolutely delighted that Bluebird Electric has been awarded Millennium Product status. "This truly is great news for the project and a tremendous way to open our 1999 campaign." He said as the team celebrated their success with Champagne at their new engineering base, on Tuesday 20th April.
Press Release Ends.