The Buckeye Bullet is the name of a series of student-built, alternative-fuel race cars created by The Ohio State University students led by Dr. Giorgio Rizzoni at the Center for Automotive Research. The cars are designed to run on the world-famous Bonneville Speedway, just outside of Wendover, Utah.
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The Buckeye Bullet team is composed of students from The Ohio State University, primarily through the College of Engineering. The team is provided research space from the Center of Automotive Research at the university.
All Buckeye Bullet vehicles have been electrically powered, with power coming from either batteries or hydrogen fuel cells.
| Vehicle | U.S. Record | World Record (km) | World Record (mile) | Power Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckeye Bullet 1 | 314.958 mph (508.485 km/h) |
271.737 mph (437.318 km/h) (Non-FIA) |
Battery (NiMH) | |
| Buckeye Bullet 2 | 303.025 mph (487.672 km/h) |
302.877 mph (487.433 km/h) |
Hydrogen Fuel Cell | |
| Buckeye Bullet 2.5 | 307.905 mph (495.526km/h) |
307.666 mph (495.140 km/h)[1] |
Battery |
The Buckeye Bullet 1 is a battery electric powered land speed race car, and the first from the Buckeye Bullet team.
The Buckeye Bullet 1 holds the distinction of being the world's fastest electric car with a top recorded speed of 321.834 mph (517.942 km/h). It holds the U.S. electric land speed record at 314.958 mph (508.485 km/h) (Class III/E). It set a BNI (non-FIA) recognized international record at 271.737 mph (437.318 km/h) on October 3, 2004.
Vehicle properties
The Buckeye Bullet 2, or BB2, is the second-generation, student-built, alternative-fuel race car created by the Buckeye Bullet team. It is the first hydrogen fuel cell powered land speed streamliner. The Buckeye Bullet 2 ran for the first time at Speedweek 2007 and recorded a top speed of 223.334 mph (359.421 km/h) on Oct. 10, 2007. At Speedweek 2008, the BB2 eclipsed its previous mark by reaching 286.476 mph (461.038 km/h)[2], the highest speed ever recorded by a hydrogen/fuel cell vehicle[3].
On September 25, 2009, the Buckeye Bullet 2 set international land speed records both at 303.025 mph (487.672 km/h) in the flying kilometer and 302.877 mph (487.433 km/h) in the flying mile [4].
The Buckeye Bullet 2.5 is a battery electric version of the Buckeye Bullet 2. It uses the same frame and body, but replaces the fuel cell power source with batteries.
The Buckeye Bullet 3 is a new vehicle that is currently in development, building on the technology of the previous vehicles.