Bluebird electric car guns for new EV speed record

The grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell is continuing his quest for land speed records - with a new attempt to set the electric car v-max.

Don Wales has announced he will attempt a world speed record of 500mph in an electric car in 2013.

Wales will be driving the Bluebird electric car that set an earlier EV record in the 2000. Then he hit 137mph at Pendine Sands in Wales in the electric car - before setting a new world speed record of 148mph in a steam car in 2009.

He's part of a long line of speed freaks and is the grandson of Malcolm Campbell MBE and nephew of Donald Campbell CBE.

The family has always named its land and water speed record breakers Bluebird - all the way back to 1911. 

The original Bluebird Napier 450bhp set its first land speed record of 174.883mph back in 1927 under petrol power.

Wales was first to break the land speed record in an electric car in 1998, acheiving 116.81mph. The same car reached 137mph in 2000, 148.308mph in 2009 and is now gunning for 500mph.

That'll need one helluva of a big battery - and big funds. The team is currently seeking sponsorship. For more details click here to see the official Bluebird Website. 

By Sarah-Jayne Harrison