Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has sent a revised TMG EV P002 to this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to defend its electric title won in 2012. Based on data gained from last year’s run of 10 minutes 15.380 seconds, TMG has generated more performance from the powertrain to further improve that mark.
The TMG EV P002 is already the benchmark for electric race cars, having established the current electric records at Pikes Peak and Nürburgring. The car is currently on its way to Salisbury in America, where TRD USA will perform aerodynamic upgrades to the Radical-based chassis as well as track testing.
Motor speed and torque have been increased while the powertrain’s operating parameters have been tuned to better suit the challenge of the unique 19.99 km Pikes Peak route, based on experience gained during last year’s class victory.
Once again, they’re using the pioneering off-board battery-to-battery charging tech, including Schneider Electric’s EVlink DC Charger, to charge the EV P002 from the mountainside, where there is no reliable connection to the power grid.
On June 30, just one week after TMG takes on the Le Mans 24 Hours with a hybrid prototype, Rod Millen will drive the TMG EV P002 at Pikes Peak. The 61-year-old New Zealander is a multiple record-setter at Pikes Peak and a regular competitor in Toyota machinery.
Before you think that this is a green race, recently revealed Pikes Peak guzzlers include the Toyota Super 86 by Monster Sport (to be driven by Monster Tajima) and the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak, which will be piloted by living rally legend Sébastien Loeb. Honda will send 10 cars to Colorado.
Read our live report from Pikes Peak 2012 to get a feel of the famous event.
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Toyota is such a good name. Pity in Malaysia, it is handled by disgraceful UMW. A company with no ethics. A company that takes out VSC just to reap more profits at the detriment of endangeing consumer lives. Now they put VSC into the Camry after much online condemnation, but what about other models?