Yokohama claims record hill climb for electric vehicle

ERJ staff report (DS)

Tokyo - Team Yokohama has turned in the best-ever performance for an EV at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The team referred to the race as the "Team Yokohama EV Challenge," and its time of 13:17.57 was about 1:15 faster than the EV record of 14:33.10. The race was staged on Sunday, June 27, in Colorado

Team Yokohama participated with an original EV racing car powered by lithium-ion batteries from Sanyo Electric and an AC induction motor from American AC Propulsion. The car was fitted with prototype tyres from Yokohama designed to demonstrate stability on many types of road surface, with additional environmental benefits, and was driven by Mr. Ikuo Hanawa, a skilled performer in world-class off-road racing. Yokohama's tyres afforded stable running over a combination of tarmac and gravel surfaces.

Run this year for the 88th time, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb - also known as the "Race to the Clouds" - is the best-known hill climb in the world. Racing to the 4,301-meter summit, participants climb about 20 kilometers, starting at the 2,862-meter level. The competition is essentially a time-trial.

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Press release from Yokohama