All the attention regarding Toyota’s racing programme may be centred on the two TS030 Hybrid racers taking part at Le Mans this weekend, but the Japanese automaker is also set to tackle some serious hill climbing at Pikes Peak.
Mitsubishi earlier announced its i-MiEV Evolution for the international hill climb event on July 8, and now Toyota has laid its EV card down on the table – the TMG EV P002 will be making its way to Colorado to compete in the race.
Last September, Toyota Motorsports’ TMG EV P001, with Jochen Krumbach at the wheel, set a new electric lap record at the Nürburgring, covering the 20.8km Nordschleife in 7 mins 47.794 secs, a record that still stands. The Ring conquered, the folk at TMG have come up with the TMG EV P002 car for Pikes Peak as part of a project from Japanese company RK1.
Based on a Radical chassis, the 4.1 metre-long TMG EV P002 features an updated electric powertrain that’s more powerful and more durable than its predecessor. Figures include a predicted top speed of 240 km/h in its Pikes Peak configuration, with combined maximum power of 350 kW and 900 Nm from its two axial flux motors and single-reduction gearing transmission.
The hillclimb, which begins at an altitude of 2,800m and reaches the summit of 4,300m, is an ideal environment to showcase the strengths of an electric powertrain, the company says. The TMG EV P002 – which will be driven at Pikes by multiple Japanese rally champion Fumio Nutahara – underwent a successful three-day testing session at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France in May to verify car and powertrain performance.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
toyota poo poo?