As part of its “Venturi Global Challenges,” Venturi Automobiles in partnership with The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research will try to achieve a new electric world’s speed record this August.
With 3,000 HP, the 3rd generation of “Venturi Jamais Contente” is the most powerful electric car ever built. Roger Schroer, test driver at the Transportation Research Center (Ohio) and current holder of the FIA world speed record (which he achieved in 2010 aboard the Venturi VBB-2.5 – reaching 495 km/h (308 mph) with a top speed at 515 km/h (320 mph), is targeting 600 km/h (373 mph) this August.
The 1st public unveiling of the VBB-3 this year will take place on the Bonneville Salt Flats during Speed Week from August 8 – 14, 2015. The FIA record attempts will take place from August 17 – 21, 2015.
By designing the most powerful electric vehicle in the world, Venturi Automobiles have attempted to optimise energy efficiency, one of the century’s greatest challenges facing not only the automobile industry, but society at large.
This approach is also what led Venturi Automobiles to the FIA Formula E championship to support the Venturi Formula E Team and to be a manufacturer for season 2 (2015/2016) and beyond. Nicolas Mauduit, Venturi CTO, said:
“In both cases we have to work on our technological innovation’s application to energy management and efficiency, both of which are the key influencers of performance and range. The Venturi VBB-3 has been ready for two years and now has the chance to demonstrate its incredible potential”
The Venturi VBB-3 has actually been ready since 2013, but the last two summers (2013 and 2014) saw unparalleled heavy rain and incessant storms, which flooded the Salt Flats. These unprecedented double meteorological events made the track unusable and VBB was unable to make a proper effort to beat its own record.
VBB-3 is a strategic R&D initiative for Venturi, largely in part that its electric powertrain is forced through extreme conditions with each record breaking attempt. For the Ohio State CAR, Giorgio Rizzoni, Director of the C.A.R said:
“This program presents our students with a unique experience to extend their engineering education. It is the culmination of 20 years of Electric Vehicle racing at Ohio State – we do not know of any other program that has embraced e-motorsports continuously for two decades, and we are grateful to Venturi for giving us the opportunity to seek ever higher challenges in electric racing.”
The VBB program pays homage to Camille Jenatzy who, on April 29, 1899, became the first person in history to break the 100 km/h (62 mph) barrier. Just like Jenatzy, in his electric vehicle nicknamed the “Jamais Contente” (Never Satisfied), Venturi is breaking benchmarks previously held by piston, diesel and petrol engines.
Source; Venturi
