An attempt to set a new land speed record for an electric vehicle has been postponed due to a delay in the supply of a vital part for the record-breaking vehicle.
Already the holder of the land speed record, Don Wales and his Bluebird Electric were set to try and break their own record this weekend on the Pendine Sands in Wales, where the previous record was set. Unfortunately, a bespoke part designed for the record attempt will not make it in time, so Don and his team have preliminarily rescheduled the speed attempt for August 13 and 14.
Wales, who is the nephew of Donald Campbell CBE and Grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell, has been maintaining the Campbell record-breaking tradition since establishing the UK Land Speed Record for an electric car in 1998. In 2009 he set the current World Land Speed Record for a steam car of 148mph.
Martin Rees, Bluebird Electric Project Director, says: "This is a huge disappointment for all parties concerned. We have been working incredibly hard to deliver a record-breaking car. “As a team we can’t compromise on safety, and do not want to settle for an inferior product. Whilst the delay of the component arriving only sets us back several days, the tidal conditions at Pendine coupled with the re-organising of timing keepers, staff, permits and the need for testing, has forced us to re-schedule for a later date. I very much hope everyone will understand our predicament and come and cheer us on in August, we have a provisional date of the 13th & 14th August to be confirmed"
"We’re extremely sorry to be letting down the team’s sponsors, the many volunteers who had promised to help and the members of the public who were expecting to watch the action”.
Pendine Sands was the site of Malcolm Campbell’s early land speed records in the 1920s driving his Bluebird cars. Wales also names his record cars Bluebird and visited Pendine Sands in 2000 to set the current UK Land Speed Record for electric cars at 137mph.
The current Bluebird Electric is being used as a test and development vehicle to try different battery technologies and drive units as part of Wales’ goal to set an electric record of more than 500mph in 2013.
