Paul Drayson heads to Bonneville for EV speed record

Technology entrepreneur, former U.K. Science Minister and racing driver Lord Paul Drayson is bringing his spectacular Drayson B12 69/EV electric Le Mans Prototype racing car to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in an attempt to raise the sub-1,000kg electric car world land speed record.

Drayson Racing achieved a 329km/h average speed (subject to FIA homologation) over the measured mile earlier this summer at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, U.K., and is aiming to go even faster at the much longer Bonneville track.

The car is scheduled to run at the Bonneville Speed Shootout where the fastest cars and motorcycles in the world aim to establish new FIA and FIM certified speed records. Lord Drayson, who will be aiming to top a previous sub-1,000kg electric car best, is aiming to push the 800bhp B12/69 EV to its maximum possible speed during the U.S. attempt.

"The development of lightweight car technology is a key part of the drive to bring electric cars to market with the range and performance that consumers expect. It presents the greatest technical challenge to engineer a car that weighs under 1000kg, goes over 322km/h and is purely driven by sustainable electric energy," said Lord Drayson, founder and CEO of Drayson Racing Technologies.

One of the team's major backers and supporters is San Diego based, Qualcomm, a leading provider of wireless technology and services. The Drayson B12 record car incorporates Qualcomm's pioneering Wireless Vehicle Electric Charging (WEVC) system that uses inductive wireless energy transfer to eliminate the plug-in cord used in most electric cars today.