Charging the vehicle presented some unique considerations: high currents for the rapid charging, high voltages for the battery configuration, and water-cooling to account for Bonneville Salt Flats’ corrosive environment. Magna-Power Electronics delivered its standard 1,250 Vdc, 75 kW MS Series III power supply with the water-cooling option. In addition, the power supply’s communication interface enabled a computer controlled charging sequence.
The Buckeye Bullet 2.5 was built in collaboration with engineering teams from the Center for Automotive Research at Ohio State University, along with support from A123 Systems and Venturi Automobiles, a French company.