Bloodhound Land Speed Record to go green

This article originally appeared in the June'22 magazine issue of Electronic Specifier Design – see ES's Magazine Archives for more featured publications.

I’ve been following this project for some years now and I remember when, in 2019, the car smashed its test programme target of 500mph, hitting a peak speed of 628mph. It was a great feat of engineering, design and teamwork and the scent of a new world record was on the horizon.

But, three years later and the project has sadly come to a standstill.

In May 2021, the car was moved to the Coventry Transport Museum so the team could focus on raising the necessary funds to complete the final record-breaking phase.

Now, in 2022, the project’s biggest challenge continues to be funding and this problem only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic with lockdowns limiting the opportunity to source new commercial interest.

However, plans are in place to reconfigure the project to ensure that it remains relevant in today’s world. Stuart Edmondson, Chief Executive Officer at Bloodhound LSR, recently announced that Bloodhound will be operating on a more sustainable level and “moving away EDITOR’S COMMENT Bloodhound Land Speed Record to go green from the historic fossil fuel propelled Land Speed Record cars of the past”.

Edmondson said: “Utilising green fuels strengthens our ability to inspire the next generation of engineers and create a lasting legacy, as the world pushes engineering boundaries in a sustainable way.”

The Bloodhound project does indeed have the capability to inspire and influence our younger generation and has been doing so since its inception. Bloodhound Education Ltd was set up alongside the BLOODHOUND SSC Project back in 2009 and has engaged over two million students in the excitement of ‘real-life engineering’. As Edmondson has noticed during his school talks, “Bloodhound plays a huge role in planting a seed in younger minds … that will inspire some of them to consider STEM careers later in life.”

Because of this, and the achievements the project has already accomplished, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the Bloodhound yet. I’m hopeful that this drive to ‘go green’ will attract new investors.